One last Chance
by TrunksIzayaBossKadoDRRRotaku
Summary: Kudou Shinichi discovers an interesting village with a hidden past behind it. He has no clue what awaits him, but what annoys him the most is the fact that a certain thief has decided to accompany him as well. AU/sequel to the Hinamizawa Detective...sort of. HIATUS TIL I FINISH OTHER STORIES
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:Here is my redone version of Chousashi-hen. I promise it will be good. **

**Chapter 1 A new student? **

**Mouri Detective Office 14 June 2011 7:15 p.m. **

"Are you sure you're okay, Conan-kun?" Ran Mouri asked the young boy, Edogawa Conan, who was currently sneezing into a tissue. Lately, she had been extremely worried about him, because of the fact that his cold had grown worse lately. She wondered what was the matter with him. He was like the younger brother that she'd never had, so of course she would be concerned about Conan.

"I'm fine, Ran-neechan." Conan replied, wiping his nose again and smiling at her, as if to reassure her.

Somehow, the boy didn't seem to mind it that much. In fact, he seemed rather...elated. He had been grinning to himself, and he had been rather...happy. That was strange; usually the boy was so serious and never acted like a child at all. He had always reminded her of Shinichi when he was serious, but now she was starting to doubt her suspicions. Sometimes, she had overheard him talking to people on his cell phone when she passed by his room. She wondered whether he was talking to his friends and trying to make arrangements to go play somewhere.

However, there was a conversation she had overheard that was the definition of strange. She had been passing by his room, but that was only because she needed something in order to get ready to prepare a meal for her father, who had come back from solving a case as Sleeping Kogoro. She thought she could hear Conan's voice.

"...Yes, Jodie. Is it true that they were sighted there? That's good news. By the way, Akai-san is still alive. Yes, I knew you'd be surprised, Jodie-san. This way, we can continue on with the next phase of our plan." That was Conan's voice, but it didn't sound like it came from a child at all.

She cracked open the door a little, and saw Conan sitting on his bed, his phone up to his ear. "What? You mean...you identified that song? That's great. Oh, by the way...Jodie-san, it seems that even Kid is on my side now. Yes, I mean _that _KID, not just any kid off the street. I still have no idea why he wants to help me, but I accept it nonetheless. Hattori is in, too."

There was a pause in speaking. Then, Conan continued. "Yes, I believe KID knows my true identity. Somehow, he figured out I wasn't a kid during one of the heists. Oh, you already guessed that? You are smart, indeed, Jodie-san. But I can't tell you who I am just yet. It's too dangerous. Right now, we need to work on..."

"Conan-kun?" Ran asked, coming into the room. "Who are you talking to?"

"Anou...just a friend! Yeah, Ayumi and I are going to go see a movie! So I was calling and making arrangements with Ayumi-chan's mother!" Conan said, a little startled by the fact that Ran had come in and disrupted his conversation.

Ran nodded. "Okay." She then left.

The second the door closed behind her, Conan picked up his phone and said, "That was too close, Jodie-san. Ran nearly found out." He said in relief.

"_My, my, Cool Kid, you should put a better lid on it." Jodie teased. "I always thought you were too smart to be a kid. So, who are you really?" _

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, like I said before. But I think Akai-san could tell you more about that." Conan continued.

"_I still can't believe Shuu is alive. How did you find out, Cool Kid?" Jodie breathed. _

"Yes, the man who was staying in Rannee-chan's friend's house. Akai-san disguised himself as Subaru Okiya. It was clever." Conan said.

_"Just like Shuu." Jodie said, fondly recalling memories of her former partner. _

"After all, he's a silver bullet they want to get rid of." Conan said.

"_How exactly did you get a phantom thief on your side?" Jodie questioned. _

Conan started coughing violently. "I'm not sure. He has a bone to pick with them, he told me that much. He's pretty hard to read." He said.

"_Are you okay, Cool Kid?" Jodie asked. _

"I'll be fine. Talk to you later, Jodie-san." Conan finished, hanging up on Jodie. He then dialed another number. "Hi, Hattori. The operation has started. Haibara has perfected the antidote, so in a few hours, I'll be able to go back to being my real age permanently." He said happily.

* * *

><p>"<em>Nani? Kudou, that's great! Are you going to tell neesan everything?" <em>

"It depends, but I'll still have to lie low." Conan replied.

"_You want me to assist, Kudou? Gladly." _

"I have connections as well." Conan said, smirking.

"_How did you get all those FBI people on your side, Kudou? I'd like to know." Hattori said aloud. _

_"_That's a story for another time." Conan said. Then he hung up, and recieved another call. This time, it was from Haibara. "What, you want me to come over right away? Okay." He said, grinning from ear to ear as he did so.

* * *

><p>A girl with blue hair was standing inside a strange place that seemed more like a dreamworld than anything else. She was surrounded by all kinds of glowing yellow shards that drifted around her. They were showing images of people and events.<p>

Her purple eyes were intently staring at the other girl who was near her. She also had purple eyes, though she had purple hair as well. The oddest thing about her, however, were her two black horns that protruded from her head. She was concentrating on something. "Hauu...Rika, I believe our time in the next world is shorter than usual." She said softly.

The other girl, named Rika said, "Well? How much?"

"Less time than before. Also, Rika, I get the feeling there are going to be some unexpected circumstances in this world." She said.

"What do you mean, Hanyuu?" Rika pressed.

"Rika, I'm not quite sure yet. We'll know once we get to the next Hinamizawa. Let's go." Hanyuu said, taking Rika's hand as an orb was forming in her hand. Then, the orb started shining brightly, and a flash of light overtook their vision. The next second, they were gone.

A few days later, Shinichi was back to normal. He sighed as he tried to figure out exactly what KID's message meant. The enigmatic phantom thief had annoyed him once again by sending him a cryptic message to decode. He had also requested Shinichi to come meet him.

Shinichi decided to postpone all thoughts of capturing him. After all, he had helped him take the Black Organization down, so now they were allies. He decided to pay him a visit, but KID didn't specify exactly _where _he lived, so he ended up frustrating the detective even more. He had talked to Haibara about it, but she wasn't really interested. She had told him something last night that had interested him. Now if he could only remember what it had been...

_Flashback _

_"Haibara, are you going to return to being an adult?" He asked, but he knew her answer before she said it. "Probably not, huh?" _

_Haibara shook her head. "Actually, I kind of like being a child now. It provides me with a sense of security I didn't have when I was older. Being like this will be good in case they escape from jail and try to kill us again. After all, they know who you are, Kudou-kun." She said. "Be careful." _

_"I know I'm going to be more careful. I only told Ran some things. Just about the drug, and why I stuck by her side." Shinichi said. _

_"How did she take it?" Haibara asked. _

_"She started crying a little, and then she thrust me out the door, saying she needed to think it over. I think the chances are she's pretty mad at me." Shinichi said sheepishly. _

_Haibara was also typing on her computer, so she was more focused on her work than him. She stopped for a second, then said, "Hey, Kudou-kun, come look at this. Do you think this is interesting?" She said._

_"What is it?" Shinichi asked, the teen walking over to where her computer was. _

_"This web page. The information I found on it is quite interesting. I know you like mysteries, so why not read over it?" Haibara suggested. _

_**Hinamizawa:A village with a secret behind it. **_

_**This small village only has around 1,000 residents living in it, but their festival they celebrate once a year makes it stand out from all the other villages. Their Watanagashi Festival is a festival to wash away the villager's sins, by taking cotton and drifting it down the stream. **_

_**However, there is a dark side behind this seemingly cheerful and quaint village. Supposedly, every year the Watanagashi is held, there is one disappearance and murder. It all started in 1978, when a man who was the director of a controversial decision to flood the village and make it into a dam was found cut into pieces. The assailant has not been found, but the leaders of the village, the Sonozakis, were against this decision and harassed the members of a family who was for the dam. **_

_**The next year, the couple who supported the dam fell to their deaths, leaving behind a young daughter and son. The wife's body was never found. **_

_**The next year, the other head of the village, the Furude, suffered the loss of the priest of the shrine. He died of a sudden illness, and his wife threw herself into a swamp not far from their house. A suicide note was found as well. **_

_**Last year, a local housewife was found beaten to death. The culprit, a drug addict was thrown into prison, but he died the next day. The son of the deceased couple also disappeared as well. **_

_**Who will be the next victim of the Shrine God's curse? **_

_Shinichi looked back at Haibara. "Hey, Haibara. This sounds interesting, but why does it only date up to 1983?" _

_"Who knows? Maybe they don't have Internet, like the Amish. Would you like to investigate?" Haibara said. "You'd have to lie low, though. I read about the head of the family, and they're wary of police." _

_Shinichi smirked. "You know me. I can't stand not solving a mystery. I think I'll go." _

_Haibara only smiled. "Be careful." _

_End of flashback _

* * *

><p>Shinichi wondered just what the Kaitou had on his mind. Little did he know it was the exact same thing Haibara had just told him about.<p>

"Honestly, Kid, did you have to drag me on a wild goose chase?" Shinichi uttered, glaring at a grinning teenage boy.

"Oi, oi, meitantei-san. Right now, I'm Kuroba Kaito. I'm not wearing the cape now. Anyhow, I knew you would be ticked off, but that makes it fun." Kaito said, grinning evilly.

"You are infuriating." Shinichi muttered. "What did you want to talk to me about?'

"Meitantei-san, I know you like mysteries, so why not..."

Shinichi sweatdropped. "Kuroba, I already heard this once. Why do I have to hear it _again?" _

"Because I would like to come with you." Kaito said.

"You were listening in on us, huh?" Shinichi said.

"Yep." Kaito said, smirking.

* * *

><p>Rika sat in her classroom, watching the same routine go on as in any other world. For some reason, Hanyuu was visible again. "Hanyuu, it's the same thing, right?"<p>

Hanyuu didn't respond, and Rika was confused. "Hey, Hanyuu?" She stopped when she realized Hanyuu was staring at the doorway in shock. Rika's mouth dropped open as well.

Why was there a new person besides Keiichi? No, make that two. What was going on here?

The boy did look a bit like Keiichi though, aside from his blue eyes, and the fact that his hair was more spiky. He seemed to give off an air of intelligence. He went up to the front of the room and introduced himself. "I'm Kudou Shinichi. Nice to meet you."

Then, the look-alike Kudou came up beside him. Rika wondered if they were twins. The look-alike waved at everyone. "Hello, there! I'm Kuroba Kaito!" He exclaimed, then disappeared.

The class gasped in shock; the teacher as well. Shinichi felt sorry for the teacher, and the hell that was going to be unleashed shortly.

Kaito reappeared near Mion, and he handed her a bouquet of roses. "You are very pretty, Ojousama. What is your name?"

The greenette, whose name was Mion Sonozaki, flushed. "Anou...it's Sonozaki...Mion."

Keiichi looked furious, and Rika smirked. She knew by now that Keiichi had feelings for Mion.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:Sorry for the late update! I have had no ideas for this, but I will try and update as much as possible! **

**Chapter 2 Distant welcome**

_I knew it. There was going to be something different about this world. I just know it. _

At first, those were the words that would travel through her head. They were comforting words, for they helped to console her by hoping that somehow she would survive her cruel destiny that awaited her in every world. Eventually, those words started to lose their meaning and comfort as the years passed by and she remained unaging. She was perpetually trapped in an eleven-year old's body, and she had no way of telling anyone how much it hurt.

No one else could possibly understand how she felt. She felt useless, helpless. Was she really meant to watch all of her friends turn against each other due to other's insinuations, their own prejudices, etc? If this was what eternity was, watching life go by and not taking a part in it, then she hated it. She just wanted to live a long life and die. She didn't want to die in the way she always did. She despised being trapped forever in this prison of misery and anguish.

Furude Rika still believed in wishes and magic. Sometimes she did. After all, she _was_ the sole heiress to the Furude family-who was believed to have a tie to Oyashiro-sama. Rika found this to be a fact, since the god did exist and was present here and now. Usually, the god did not exist. Rather, she existed, she just could not be seen by ordinary people other than Rika or people suffering from the higher levels of the syndrome. However, something had changed. She knew it within the depths of her soul.

First, there had been the fact that there was no Shion attending school. In the last world, she had been present, but now she was strangely absent. Perhaps she had never escaped from the Catholic school she had been sent to. Anything was possible in these bizarre-and nightmarish worlds. She just wanted to one day escape all of this and reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Second, there had been new students at the school. Sure, Keiichi usually transferred to Hinamizawa in every world, but this one was an exception. Two new kids that she had _never _seen before in any world had arrived in Hinamizawa just a few hours ago. They were friendly but distant kids.

She felt as though they were holding something back-though, who was she to talk? Who was she to bad-mouth Keiichi and the others for keeping lies from their friends, when she had been the most dishonest of them all? She had constantly lied to them, over and over. She wondered whether they actually would believe her if she told them directly. Hanyuu was a difference, too. For the first time, her friend was visible. No one could see her horns (of course.)

She sat in her seat, watching as the teacher, Rumiko Chie, a kind soul with blue hair and eyes lectured the class on a boring lesson Rika had heard hundreds of times before. She was being literal with this. She yawned aloud.

"Rika, did you have trouble sleeping last night?" Her best friend, Hojo Satoko, asked. She was seated next to Rika. Satoko had blond hair that she usually kept back in a headband, and pink eyes. She was an outcast of Hinamizawa due to the difference in political belief that her family had felt against the head of the village, the Sonozaki. Rika was one of her only friends.

Rika shook her head. "Nipah. It's nothing like that, nano desu. I just was up all night talking with my cousin since she has just gotten here! It's been a long time since we've seen each other, right, Hanyuu?" She asked, nudging her shyer companion. Rika's purple eyes seemed to convey a message to the timid girl hiding her face.

The girl lifted her head to reveal a delicate face. She was very modest and withdrawn. Her hair was a shade of lavender. Her eyes were a darker shade of purple. "Hau..you're right, Rika." She said, smiling shyly.

Someone else behind them was watching in interest. Rika sighed mentally and heard some excited giggles. She knew who that was.

"HAUU! HANYUU-CHAN IS SO CUTE! OMOCHIKAERI!" The female voice squealed, and then Rika heard the sound of a chair being pushed back and the sound of a struggle going on. The next thing Rika knew, the girl held a struggling Hanyuu in her arms, and took off.

"RYUUGUU-SAN, DON'T TAKE THE NEW GIRL HOME!" Chie shrieked.

"But, she's just so cute!" The girl squealed, hugging Hanyuu close to her, who looked like she was going to suffocate from lack of air.

"Hey, Rena! Why don't you take her home later? If you suffocate her, you won't be able to take her home at all!" A male voice cried.

The brunette who was hugging Hanyuu looked up. Her cerulean eyes widened as she realized the full meaning of what he had been getting at. "Oh, thank you Keiichi-kun!" She said, giggling and then releasing Hanyuu, who scampered behind Rika.

"She's scary even when she's not paranoid." Hanyuu muttered. Rika just smiled at the irony of this scene. The fact was that Rena was an avid Oyashiro-sama believer, more like a fanatic. Here she was, trying to take the real Oyashiro-sama home. If only she knew...

Rika sweatdropped. "Hanyuu...behave."

She noticed the two new students in their seats. They seemed to be listless, as well. Sometimes, you could tell a lot about a person just by looking at them. That was something Rika had become particularly good at. For example, the boy who had flirted with Mion was seated a few seats away from Satoko. He was already casting amorous glances at all the females in the room. Most of the girls her age were giggling excitedly.

He seemed to be a prankster and a ladies' man. Interesting person, indeed. Well, he wouldn't be getting her to fall for him. She was interested in no one. Living an inescapable youth tended to drain one's interest in sexual relationships-or any type of bonding for that matter. Not that he didn't seem interesting-he was. He just seemed irritating to her. Conceited, too.

She glanced over at the other boy, who was also slumped over in his desk. His hands were propping up his face. It was evident to Rika that he was bored. He seemed to be very similar in appearance to the trickster beside him. On the contrary, there were some obvious differences. His hair was neater and better-looking, for one. His eyes were a dark blue, while the other's was definitely a violet in color.

His personality was harder to discern. She had only known him for a few hours at the most. The least she could say was that he seemed bored with the things in school. The look on his face was that of someone accustomed to dreary and tedious things. She wondered why there was such a mature look in those eyes.

He turned in his seat. Obviously, he wasn't stupid enough to not realize that someone was staring at him. His bright blue eyes were full of interest as he stared at her. She smiled childishly at him. "Nipah!" She said. "Why are you looking at me, Sir?" She asked sweetly. Inwardly, she sighed. She was getting sick of acting childish just to keep her true nature under wraps.

He shrugged his shoulders, and looked away from her. "Nothing, really. I was just curious." He whispered enigmatically. His face seemed to take on a pained expression as he looked away from her. He seemed so distant and forlorn somehow...

Rika was watching him with more than a hint of curiosity now. She wondered why he would look so forlorn. Maybe he was just homesick. Well, that was probably an ordinary feeling to have. Anyone would miss their home after being away from it. There were probably some exceptions to the rule-Satoko might be the best example. Satoko had endured years of abuse from her aunt and uncle, and as a result, she had closed her heart off to everyone but Rika. Fortunately, ever since she started living with Rika, she had become more open-hearted and caring, though Rika knew she still hurt inside.

She decided she would go over and talk to him sometime. She knew Mion would probably come over and introduce herself to him sooner or later. The perky greenette was quite extroverted, sometimes to the point of annoying people, but she meant well. She was always upbeat and full of energy and wished for everyone she knew to be happy, no matter who they were.

So did Rika, but as a result of all the hardship she had endured, she had nearly given up on all hope of ever escaping this endless world of sorrow. That is, until the last world. It had been nothing short of a miracle. Keiichi and Rena and Shion had all overcome their problems by talking to one another and not fighting with one another. They had almost won that time. Almost, that is until the true villain revealed herself and killed her friends in front of Rika. Hanyuu had informed her of everything that had happened in the last world because she had forgotten somehow.

* * *

><p>Shinichi looked around the classroom at all the children who were casting very curious stares at him. <em>Of course they would, since I'm new here. <em>He had noticed something was a little odd about this village when he had first come here with Kaito. For one thing, they had no cell phones or computers at all here. That was highly unusual, as most of the kids in his high school had been using cell phones.

He noticed the frigid silence in the room when he and Kaito had come in. It seemed like the kids in Hinamizawa were not accustomed to outsiders. Personally, he couldn't blame them. It was only natural to be wary of strangers who just popped up out of nowhere. He himself had become a tad paranoid after he had returned to his real age. He supposed it was a side effect from being around Haibara. Well, it was only a smart thing to do, since he had imprisoned the members of the Black Organization, it would be wise to lie low, considering they might be out for his blood.

He noticed some of the kids in the room were looking at him in curiosity. Some of them were smiling cordially at him, like the greenette on his left. She was smiling at him. He smiled a ghost of a smile, and she grinned back. She seemed to be one of the few people who was actually friendly here. She was probably that way by nature. _It reminds me of Ran. _

Shinichi smirked at Kaito upon seeing the death glare that one of the other kids had sent him. It appeared Kaito's stunt earlier had won him a few enemies. Kaito didn't seem fazed by the other boy at all, rather he just waved cheerfully at him. The other boy looked even more angry.

"Oi, Kuroba. Don't go messing around here." He warned.

Kaito just shrugged his shoulders. "Why don't you lighten up, Shinichi? You need to have fun~! Smile!" Kaito exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. He headed toward the detective and stretched out his gums, much to everyone else's amusement. "You have nice pearly whites!" He said.

"Top it, Kuroba. I had thish for dinner last night." Shinichi muttered, and he slapped Kaito away from him. "Do you want me to eat fish in front of you? Perhaps we can split it."

Kaito turned pale, and backed away. "No, thanks. I'll pass." He said slowly, then returned to his desk. He looked green around the gills. Shinichi only grinned broadly.

Laughter rang out from around the classroom. A few girls were laughing at what had just occurred.

"That was quite impressive. To think you wounded his pride so easily." A blond girl said, sending Shinichi a mischievous look. "I'm Hojo Satoko, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Kudou Shinichi." He said back in response.

* * *

><p>The teacher came back in then. "All right, everyone! Take your seats! That includes you, Mr. Kuroba!" She added, glaring at the aforementioned magician, who flinched.<p>

"Why, why do you suppose I would ever get out of my seat?" He said innocently.

"I know you well enough now to know that you like to backtalk the teacher! Now, sit down!" Chie ordered.

Kaito sat back down obediently, but did so with a melodramatic sigh. He started twirling his pencil around, and most of the class now had their eyes on him. They gasped as he made his pencil disappear and then reappear.

Shinichi sighed. Did he have to do more magic again? Ah, well. It was more entertaining than sitting here doing absolutely nothing. He already knew all of the stuff the teacher was teaching the class, so sitting here was totally tedious. If only he had thought about bringing some of his mystery novels with him, he could kill time...

* * *

><p>Recess came quicker than Shinichi expected it to. Most of the kids headed outside, except for a select few, who stayed inside. They were all crowded around a table.<p>

_What's going on over there? From the looks of it, I'd say they're all friends. _

"Yosh!" The greenette from earlier shouted. She seemed very spirited. "Now the Hinamizawa After-school club can truly begin! Is everyone here?" She said.

"I am!" A brown-haired girl with blue eyes exclaimed.

"Good to know, Rena!" The greenette praised. "Is Kei-chan here?"

"I'm here as always, Mion!" He said.

"Satoko?"

"Hai!" The perky blonde from before said, grinning to show...a fang? Shinichi shivered suddenly.

"Rika-chan?"

A bluenette nodded her head. She seemed to be only ten or eleven. She smiled demurely. There was something fake about that smile, though. It seemed like she was holding back a little. Shinichi knew that face, even if he didn't see it that much. It was like the look on Haibara's face. It was a look of wisdom concealed behind childish innocence, or something poetic like that.

Nah, he was probably just kidding himself. There was no way there were others like him or Haibara out there, though he could never be entirely sure.

"Hey, Hanyuu! Come over here and join us!" The brown-haired boy said, waving to a shy purple-haired girl, who blushed and sat down at the table. She appeared to be a shrinking violet, Shinichi deduced.

"Today, we're welcoming Furude Hanyuu-chan into our club! But, before that, let me get to the point! We should try and get to know the two new transfer students who have just joined us! Kuroba Kaito and...what was his name again?" The greenette paused.

Shinichi sighed mentally. Must everyone forget his name? It wasn't that hard to forget. "Kudou Shinichi. That's my name." He repeated.

The greenette stopped. "That's it! Sorry, it slipped my mind!" She exclaimed again, which caused most of the occupants at the table to laugh.

"Do not mock the leader of the club!" She yelled.

Most of them continued to laugh, though a few timid ones, like the purple-haired girl, calmed down immediately.

"Come on over here, you two!" She cried, extending a hand to them.

"Ah, but I am already here, Ojousan!" Kaito said cordially, and Shinichi smacked his palm as he appeared in front of her startled eyes and made yet another rose for her, only this time it was a bouquet. "You are truly gorgeous." He praised unctuously.

The girl flushed red, and the other boy started fuming at the way Kaito was hitting on her. "Hey, lay off of Mion!" He exclaimed, standing up. "Who do you think you are?"

"Why, I only know myself as Kuroba Kaito! What do you want to call me by?" Kaito taunted.

The boy's face contorted in anger. "All right! From this day on, you and I are rivals!" He exclaimed, and pointed a finger at Kaito, who only smirked.

"Fine, but prepare to deal with your worst nightmare." Kaito said calmly.

"Nipah, I think you'll find that Keiichi is quite scary when he gets angry." The bluenette said cutely.

The other brunette squealed audibly. "HAUU, RIKA-CHAN IS JUST TOO CUTE!" She exclaimed, and then picked up Rika, who didn't resist her at all, and started to run off with her.

"Aren't you going to do something about her?" Shinichi asked blankly.

"No, that's how she always is." The greenette said. "Come on over!" She said again.

Shinichi gave in and walked over, plastering a smile on his face. He wasn't really in the mood for these kinds of things, but he supposed he'd give it a try. He hadn't come across any mysteries yet.  
>"Kuroba, were you duping me this entire time?" He hissed.<p>

Kaito only grinned. "Maybe, meitantei-san. What are you going to do about it? You going to open up to these people?"

Shinichi nodded slowly. "Not about everything." He whispered.

"Why are you guys whispering?" The purple-haired girl asked. The shy one, that is. "Are you hiding something?"

"N-No, not at all! We're only friends!"

"You guys look identical. Are you sure you're not identical twins?" Keiichi cut in.

"No, I'm quite sure we're not. He likes screwing around with his magic tricks, while I prefer to be serious." Shinichi explained.

Rika grinned at this. "Nipah, it certainly seems that way."

"Tell us about yourselves! First, Furude Hanyuu!" Mion shouted.

"Um...I like sweets...I hate spicy food! I think games are fun!" Hanyuu stammered. "Anou...there a-a-re- some other th-th-things I-I- like to do! Just let me think of them!" She exclaimed, and hid her face.

"She's shy. That's okay." Rena said. "Because it makes her so cute..."

"Not again." Kaito complained. "You shouldn't try and take her home. I don't think selling kids makes you any money." He teased.

"No, it's nothing like that! When Rena sees cute things, Rena just can't resist taking them home!" Rena said.

"Why are you talking about yourself in the third person?" Shinichi questioned.

Rena winced. "No reason at all." She said.

"Next, Kuroba Kaito!" Mion said, smacking her hand down on his desk, where he was doodling.

"I love magic! I keep doves and I'm always ready to perform any time at all!" Kaito uttered. "I also hate things that live in the sea, and they must not be named! I also love to annoy Shinichi here, because it's so much fun!" Kaito said exuberantly, reaching out to pat Shinichi's head.

"Baro, don't call me by my first name! Call me Kudo!" Shinichi scolded.

"But, Shinichi, why are you rejecting me?" Kaito wailed.

"Stop with the melodrama." Shinichi said calmly.

"Kudou Shinichi! Tell us about yourself!" Mion said.

"Well, I love to play soccer, and watch it on TV! I also adore mystery novels, particularly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes! He's the best mystery author around!" Shinichi gushed.

"Now's your time to leave. He'll ramble on and on for hours." Kaito joked.

"Kuroba, shut up. Unless you want to go to Sea World after school, you'd better shut up." He said, causing his friend to shiver.

"Why must you mention those horrible, disgusting,..." Kaito trailed off.

"Fish?" Satoko suggested. "What's wrong with fish?"

Kaito screamed. "There's everything wrong with them! They're hideous, they're ugly, and they smell bad!" He shrieked.

"Only to you." Shinichi added. He was careful to leave out any mention of his adventures as Conan or the BO or his identity as a detective. "Well, anyway, my parents live overseas. They come to check on me every now and then. My best friend is into karate." He finished.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:Like always, I must say that I do not own either Higurashi or Detective Conan. **

**Chapter 3 Uncertain Future**

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><p>"Well, what do you think of the whole event?" The girl who had just spoken said, setting down her glass of wine on the windowsill where she was sitting. Purple eyes gazed over at the other girl who was currently sitting on her bed. Her gaze was downcast, and she wasn't paying attention to her. She seemed more or less distracted. Like something was on her mind. She knew this all too well.<p>

"Is there something on your mind, Hanyuu? If so, you can talk to me about it. After all, I have been the only one who can see you for years, so the two of us are partners in this fate." Rika said.

The girl, Furude Hanyuu, pushed a piece of her lavender hair out of her face and smiled softly. It was a weak smile, but over the years it had given Rika encouragement. "Don't get your hopes up, Rika. You know every world is doomed to failure."

"Hanyuu, with that pessimistic attitude, we'll never get anywhere. In the last world, everyone really tried their hardest." In the last arc, Keiichi and the others had overcome their hate for each other and decided to resolve their problems through ways other than violence. It had been a miracle for Rika and Hanyuu. However, their happy ending had come to an abrupt halt when the true villain, Miyo Takano had revealed herself and subsequently killed them all.

"Rika...I can't believe you forgot about that world. I did, too. I only remembered it because you brought up the Watanagashi festival today. I couldn't help but think of Takano, and then I remembered her betrayal of us." Hanyuu explained.

"I can't believe she was the true antagonist all along." Rika said, her violet eyes full of sadness. "She promised she'd take care of me, then she murdered me in every arc. It's a horrible feeling, Hanyuu. To have the one you care about most do something terrible in front of you. It totally shatters your trust in them and completely smashs your heart. It also destroys your feelings. I must have seen Takano murdering me so many times in those worlds that I must not have wanted to believe it. I must have suppressed my memories." Rika summed up.

Once again, Hanyuu was silent. Usually, Hanyuu would speak up about something that bothered her. However, she had this rather annoying habit of clamming up whenever she was concerned about something. Most of the time, she came to Rika about her problems. Today, however...she looked more like a wilted flower than anything else. She wasn't full of the vigor that she had possessed a few hours earlier.

"Hanyuu, how much time do we have left in this world?" Rika pressed.

"Hauu...I'm afraid it's less than last time. I believe this is the final world, since everyone could see me. However, there has been something unexpected in this world." Hanyuu said sadly.

"Yes. Those new transfer students. I never imagined something like this would happen. " Rika said. "Is this a gift that fate has given us, or will this turn out to be a double-edged sword in the end?"

Hanyuu stared at her for a few moments. "Who are they, and what are their true intentions, Rika? Even I, an immortal god, do not know that answer." She muttered. "However, that boy...Kuroba-san seems like a nice kid. He was really ticking off Keiichi by flirting with Mion earlier..." She giggled. "They both seem like very nice boys, and it's nice that Keiichi has more boys."

Rika grinned at the memory of the messy-haired teen who had messed around with the club leader, Sonozaki Mion, earlier in the day. She knew by now that Keiichi had feelings for Mion. Though usually he chose not to voice this. She laughed. "The look on his face was priceless. I think he is now Kuroba-san's rival."

"What if that causes them to hate each other?" Hanyuu wondered aloud, but Rika shook her head in amusement.

"I don't think so." Rika said.

"It's just that...I'm troubled about the quiet boy...Kudou Shiroichi, wasn't it..." Hanyuu trailed off.

"I believe it was Kudou Shinichi-san, Hanyuu." Rika corrected.

"Right, right. Anyway, it's him I'm worried about. He doesn't say anything at all in class. He's so quiet..." Hanyuu trailed off.

"Why don't we withhold our judgment for now."

"Are they really our keys for salvation?" Hanyuu mused. There was a thoughtful look on her face.

"I would like to believe so, Hanyuu. However, it's hard to believe that fate, who has been so cruel to us, would really bless us. I think it's more likely that this will turn out to be a double-edged sword, like I said before." Rika said. "What if they're spies for Takano?"

"I really doubt it. Both of them are enigmatic. Kuroba Kaito seems like a prankster. He does seem smart, though." Hanyuu said. "It's the other one...Kudou-san. He was so quiet...almost like he was so distant."

"He's probably dealing with his own problems, Hanyuu. All our friends were dealing with their own problems when they came here, and were quiet. Keiichi was, Rena was, and Satoko, too. Even me-however, there is something I noticed about him. He seems quite serious." Rika summed up.

"He's the perfect contrast to Kuroba-san, am I right?" Rika said.

Hanyuu nodded. "I noticed...the entire time class was going on, Kudou had the same bored expression on his face as you do, Rika."

"What do you mean? I mean, it's not as if he's gone through the same lecture every time-" Rika stopped her sentence right there, as if realizing something that had completely slipped her mind. "Come to think of it, he did have the exact _air _about him as I do! It's like he's seen this stuff over and over! Is it really possible that...?" Rika asked, feeling hope welling up in her chest. How she had longed for someone to talk to about how tiresome and repetitive it was to live the same life over and over, with no changes. It would be such a great feeling if she could ever meet someone like her. However, she highly doubted it was possible.

"I don't know for certain, Rika. Anything's possible. This could be our best chance at a good world, or it could all spiral into darkness. This is the last world, Rika. Let's put forth our best effort!" Hanyuu exclaimed, smiling confidently.

Rika and Hanyuu shook hands.

"Rika, Hanyuu, can I please get some sleep? I swear, you just woke me up with all your chatter..." One Hojo Satoko muttered, rubbing the sleep out of her crimson orbs and sitting up.

"Hau...We haven't seen each other for a while, so we were just talking to each other about what's been happening with us since we last met." Hanyuu lied. She had become pretty adept at lying, but this was the first time that Rika's friends could actually see her and hear her without panicking and overreacting due to the effects of their hatred.

"That's okay. I haven't seen my Nii-nii for a while...but I know he'll come back someday. Right, Rika?" Satoko asked sadly. There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Rika was silent. She hated seeing Satoko bring up the subject about her brother, who had disappeared a year earlier. Though to her, it felt like ages since she had seen Satoshi.

Due to the fact that Hanyuu's power was decreasing, her time in the worlds was gradually diminishing. In the last world, her time had only been for approximately two weeks. Now, she doubted the time would be longer. Probably shorter, she told herself. She started to doubt that there would be any hope. But now...there was hope. Small, perhaps, but it was there.

"Satoko...don't worry. I'm sure that Satoshi will come back soon...nipah!" She said, putting on her childish mask once more. Her friends were not used to her serious side, so she would put on a fake mask of childish innocence, which they usually fell for. She didn't want people to see her true nature.

Her friend grinned. "Thanks for being there for me, Rika. You've always been by my side...so, please don't disappear!" She cried.

Hanyuu and Rika exchanged worried glances before speaking up. "Whatever do you mean?" Hanyuu asked innocently.

"You know...you were talking about "fate" and other stuff. Are you going to run away, Rika? If so, then please don't! I need you...everyone needs you! You're not a worthless person in my eyes, or Rena-san's, or Mion-san's. Please don't hate yourself." She pleaded.

"I was just joking. Satoko, don't take what I said seriously." Rika said.

Satoko fell asleep shortly after that. Rika and Hanyuu turned in for the night as well, both of them wondering what direction this new world was going to go in. Would it turn out all right, or would things go bad as usual?

* * *

><p>A certain teenage boy was unable to sleep. Ever since the Black Organization had been arrested, he'd been sleeping in his own house, but he still couldn't shake off the traces of paranoia that remained. After he had lived for two years as a child, his entire view of the world had been totally warped beyond recognition. He had been naive and arrogant, and had assumed he knew everything about the world. When he had become Conan, his world turned upside down.<p>

He had become a shadow of his former self. Instead of being a playful, easygoing teenager, Shinichi was now twice as paranoid and distrustful as he had been before he was shrunk. He now saw the world in a shade of black and grey. Even the kindest person could eventually turn out to be a bad person. His life would never be the same, he knew. Kudou Shinichi had been forced into a bad and desperate situation, so he had adjusted to his second childhood, enduring the pain and lies that came with it.

He had grown up a lot. He thought maybe he had become too paranoid, too much like Haibara for his own good. But he remembered the last words Gin had spoken to Kaito and him. Both of them were in disguise, but he thought that Gin had seen through their disguises.

* * *

><p><em>"I know you two brats didn't do this on your own. You had help." Gin hissed to a frightened Shiho, who was holding onto Ran's arm tightly. "Whoever those two people were...I will one day get revenge. You will regret having crossed my path." He grinned evilly. <em>

_Shinichi and Kaito both shivered. They had never been so scared before in their lives. Even though they had taken precautions in order to ensure that Gin would not find out their identities, he believed that they might have slipped up, somehow._

_"When I find those two...I will be your worst nightmare." He said, a predatory smile on his face, revealing those shiny, white teeth of his, much like a wolf's..._

_"All the better to eat you with...my dear." Shinichi mused in his head as Gin was led away. _

_Kaito turned towards him. Even though he was disguised, Shinichi knew the thief well enough to tell that he, too, had been utterly shaken by what he had just seen. Kaito usually didn't get scared, but today was an exception. _

End of flashback

* * *

><p>He had told Ran about him being Conan, and her reaction was along the lines of what he'd expected: yelling, crying, and...hugging him? Yes, Ran had <em>not <em>beaten him up, much to his disbelief, and had embraced him while crying hysterically. Then she started to yell at him and Shinichi had only gotten to explain a little bit of the entire situation to her before she had officially thrown him out of her house.

He rubbed his head. That was typical of women. In Shinichi's life, he had had three different kinds of women around him. The first were the doting, idiotic type who would listen to you and worship you blindly. Ayumi was a great example.

The second were the snooty ones who figured they could own the world. Only Sonoko and Kaito's creepy friend, Koizumi fit that description, since both of them were so stuck-up. They always seemed to care only about themselves and no one else.

The last...could be the most infuriating of all. These kinds would only give you enough information, (or as little as possible, and piss you off). Worst of all, they would do it while smirking at you. Only one person fit that to a T. That was Haibara Ai. This kind could also go to any lengths to annoy you at all times of the day, no matter what you were doing.

He fell back asleep, but then he heard a knocking on his bedroom door. He ignored it, and continued sleeping, though inwardly he was praying that it was not Ran.

"Meitantei-san...time to wake up..."

No. It was _not Ran. It was someone __**ten times worse. **_ Why, of all people, must _he _annoy him the most?

"Go away..." He hissed.

"Shin-chan...Shiiiiiiiin-chan...wake up!" The very irritating voice continued on. Shinichi made a mental note to put a fish tank in his room, just to scare away the annoying pest.

"Go to hell." Shinichi hissed.

"How mean, Shin-chan! All I was trying to do was save you from the angry hellion Mouri-san! She's here to kill you! I'll barricade the door!" Kaito yelped.

"WHERE'S RAN? YOU HAVE TO HIDE ME RIGHT AWAY!" Shinichi exclaimed, jumping right off of his bed and landing right on top of a certain magician, who squealed in panic.

"You're suffocating me...meitantei-san!" Kaito exclaimed, then disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared near Shinichi, who glared at him upon realizing that a certain Amazonian schoolgirl was nowhere in sight.

"How dare you...pull something over like this on me." Shinichi huffed.

"It works, Shinichi." Kaito said, grinning evilly.

"Don't call me that. You make yourself sound creepy. And what the heck are you doing at my house anyway?" Shinichi asked, standing up and rubbing his head.

"Aren't friends supposed to know where their friends live?" Kaito teased.

"Well, if you equate _friends _with _**stalkers, **_Kuroba, I suppose the answer is yes." Shinichi snapped.

"I'm not a stalker! I'm only-"

"An annoying pain in the ass? Definitely." Shinichi replied.

"HEY! Don't insult me like that...Kudo. I only came here to wake you up! We're headed back to that village, right?"

Shinichi stared at him in curiosity before a strange smirk came on his face. "Yes. Yes, we are. Kuroba...is it just me or did you notice something odd about that place?"

The magician grinned momentarily before an unusually serious look passed onto his face. "Yes. It seemed like a lost relic from the past. Almost...like a jewel, right, Meitantei-san?" Kaito said jokingly.

"You...really obfuscate stupidity, huh?" Shinichi said.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:Wow, my doc manager sure has a weird habit of underlining every anime character's name I write. Here are the funniest examples which I will share with you:

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><p><strong>Higurashi=Thrashing. (Wait, what?) <strong>

**Keiichi=Chicken. O.o I didn't know Keiichi was a squawking bird. I must not have been paying attention. **

**Watanagashi=Washingtonian. **

**Shinichi=Shininess. O.O Shinichi is a gay vampire? NOOOOOOOO! (In case you didn't notice, I am NOT a Twilight fan. No offense to readers who like the series.)**

**Haibara=Hairball. O.O No comment. **

**Sonoko=Songbook. XD**

**Mouri-san=Missourian! XD Is my manager on acid or something?**

**Uchiha=Chihuahua. O.o **

**Anyhow, enough of the funniness. Time to go on to the chapter. **

**Chapter 4 The club **

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><p>Kaito watched over the detective closely as the two of them headed to school together. Well, not really for educational purposes, since there was an underlying motive as to <em>why <em>they were headed there. After all, there was a mystery involved in Hinamizawa, so he knew the detective would have been unable to say no. "Shin-chan sure is smart, but when it comes to mysteries, he doesn't care about anything else." He muttered softly, so quietly that the young man almost didn't hear him.

However, Shinichi did hear. He turned around abruptly, staring intently at Kaito. The intense gaze in his blue eyes was frightening...creepy, even. He supposed all that the young detective had gone through over the past two years had made him completely wary of everyone...even his own friends. "What was that?" He remarked sharply, a look of annoyance present on his face.

_Whoopsie...did I touch a nerve? SUCCESS! _

"Hey, meitantei-san, did I snap you out of your grouchy mood?" Kaito taunted, sticking out his tongue at him playfully. Kaito did not like seeing people unhappy or sad, dangit! All he wanted was for Shinichi to at least smile or smirk instead of always being so quiet and withdrawn. It didn't suit the detective to be all sullen and pensive. That title belonged much more to Koizumi Akako.

And sometimes, that kind of nature or mood fit Kaito, too. He was so used to wearing a happy and cheerful mask that many people had fallen for it and believed his true nature to be that of a prankster and a good-natured guy. However, it was nothing but a mask that concealed his depression, his problems, and his true feelings. He had grown accustomed to wearing masks since his father had died, and ever since he had become KID, masks were part of him. However, he could be serious when he wanted to be at times, and that was how he knew that he could read people almost as well as, if not better than, the detective could at times.

He knew Shinichi fairly well, and obviously he was worrying about the Black Organization again. Ever since he had gone through that experience, he seemed to be more mature and less friendly.

_Almost like a miniature Bruce Wayne _

Kaito thought and laughed. Shinichi was nothing like the Caped Crusader, though maybe he was the one who was more like Superman, trying hard to help and save everybody no matter what the cost was. He knew the detective despised killing and murder as much as he did, but he didn't always have to be so serious all the time. He needed to try smiling for once.

"Shut up, you annoying idiot. Why do I even bother in coming along with you? At the very least, Ran would have been much more helpful..." Shinichi grumbled, continuing along in a sour mood.

Kaito frowned. "Hey, meitantei-san. I need to know something. Have you been having those nightmares again?" He asked pointedly, knowing exactly what his friend's response would be. The latter froze up again and looked away before replying.

"Maybe." He muttered softly. "It's just...being with these kids again reminds me of...that incident. The person I failed to save." He explained quietly, his gaze directly down at the ground.

"That death wasn't your fault, Kudou." Kaito explained quickly. "You can't always prevent bad things from happening. You just have to do your best."

"You idiot. You don't understand. You haven't been there, seeing someone lie dying in front of your eyes. I don't want to get close to people, because then they'll end up dead." Shinichi hissed harshly.

"Kudo!" Kaito yelped, surprised by the detective's callousness. Usually, there would be some kind of jocular tone in there. "Is the real Shinichi dead, or replaced by a clone?" He asked, ruffling Shinichi's hair, much to his disdain.

"Yamero, Kuroba. That's an annoying habit. You know I don't like it, so _why _do you do it?" Shinichi moaned.

"Because...I know you _don't like it. _I want you to know I exist, instead of spacing out and looking so depressed all the time. Smile, Kudou. You don't have to be totally honest with these people, but you can be friendly and let them in." Kaito advised.

"Kaito..." Shinichi trailed off.

"You can't be alone all the time. It's no fun when you're by yourself, because loneliness eats you up from the inside. Even if you think it's good at first, eventually it will erode your self-esteem away. Open up some more, meitantei-san. I'm sure the kids will accept you." Kaito said.

Shinichi stared at him in silence for a few moments, then he smiled softly. "You're right." He said, and they continued on. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, but it was a comfortable silence-the kind that is achieved after one has done something good or meaningful.

* * *

><p>Rika and Hanyuu got up early again, in preparation for school. However, their minds were both focused on the new students. Both of them were unable to think on anything else, since a welcome change in their eternally long and tedious lives had forced them to rethink how this life would be carried out.<p>

"Will we make it through, Hanyuu? Or will these two-Kudou and Kuroba-turn out to be burdens that drag us down?" Rika said softly.

"I don't know, Rika." Hanyuu admitted. For once, the young girl had no idea what might happen to them in this world. That was both a relief and a curse. For one, she had no idea who those boys really were, and whether or not they were really good people. Another reason was because she knew that in the previous world, they only had had two weeks. Now, she supposed the time was even shorter. Each time she used her power to bring Rika back to life, she always ended up draining some of her power away. Eventually, they would die, and nothing would come of their death.

Hanyuu knew this was inevitable, however she did her best to remain positive, for Rika's sake. The last world had done enough to improve Hanyuu's spirits and reassure her and Rika into hoping for a better tomorrow. There was a new change in the way she viewed things now. She wanted to do her best for the sake of her friends and Rika. She no longer was invisible and see-through; now she was able to interact with all of her friends. Also, she could try and change everyone's futures for the better. She couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Hanyuu, what are you thinking about?" Rika asked the purple-haired child, her violet eyes full of concern as she stared at her closest friend. She usually could read the girl's mind pretty well, however she was again spacing out...about something. Rika knew Hanyuu well enough to tell that when she was quiet, something was wrong.

"Hau...nothing, really. I just wonder how this world will turn out." Hanyuu whispered, though more to herself than anyone else. She herself had completely changed her tune from pessimistic to hopeful and happy since she had become visible. The goddess had never believed it to be possible that her fate could be controlled by just her.

"Hanyuu! The bath is ready!" Satoko's impending voice called. "I just finished! You can have one before Rika!" She called.

Rika scowled. "I got up first, why can't _I _get a shower first? Satoko, this isn't fair..." She frowned, and sulked. Hanyuu didn't even pay attention to Rika's little tantrum and instead decided to go and take a bath. At least then she would be away from the cranky Rika.

"Rika, don't complain." Satoko's nagging voice responded from the hallway.

"Nipah. I was merely joking, nano desu." Rika lied. She was partially jealous at the treatment Hanyuu was getting, but she supposed Hanyuu was getting excused for things due to the major, apparent fact that she was a new student, and that she was cute. Without those things, she would never be able to get away with privileges. Rika made a mental note to get more spicy liquor. She could always use more, after all...

* * *

><p>That afternoon, Shinichi was awakened when a person slammed their fist onto his desk, which jolted him upright. "Who's there?" He exclaimed.<p>

"Sonozaki Mion!" The voice screamed. "Don't sleep during class, Kudou-san!" The obnoxious voice continued, as the witch accused him of various bad things that she proclaimed that he either had done, or hadn't done...Women. Either they loved you to death, or else they tried to kill you. Why did things always have to work that way?

He suppressed those dirty feelings for now, and looked up into the blue eyes of Sonozaki Mion. "I wasn't sleeping! I was only...uh, resting my eyes." He lied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really? You were asleep." The brown-haired girl, Rena added on his right. Her blue eyes were looking at him in curiosity. "I hate liars..." She whispered.

"I'm not lying..." Shinichi began, but it was ultimately Kaito who joined the role of tormentor. "Kaito...help me." He whispered.

"Nah, it's better to watch ya suffer." Kaito joked, eating a bag of popcorn as he said this. "This looks quite interesting, folks. What'll Kudou's reaction be to how-"

"How'd you blackmail them into giving you popcorn?" Shinichi cracked, a soccer ball suddenly appearing out of seemingly nowhere and heading towards Kaito, who abruptly yelped and dove under the table to escape its wrath. The black-and-white ball bounced all around the room, while all the club members and Hinamizawa kids watched on in shock.

"Nipah, that's a soccer ball, isn't it?" Rika asked childishly.

"It sure is!" Keiichi exclaimed, watching Kaito run from Shinichi's soccer ball. "He sure is talented with a soccer ball! Watch that other baka go!" He exclaimed, laughing.

"HELP ME, YOU GUYS! HE'S GONE CRAZY!" Kaito screamed.

"By the way, there's a lot of...fish in this." Shinichi exclaimed, reaching in his pocket and pulling out some dead trout and threw them at Kaito. The results were a huge crash and a bunch of girly screams.

"My image of Kuroba-san changed completely in the past five seconds." Satoko muttered to herself, smirking upon seeing the cocky boy lying knocked out on the ground with fish on his head.

"Mii-Kudou-san susre is interesting." Rika admitted.

"This old man here was surprised too at his skill with a soccer ball. He'll be perfect for joining our club." Mion whispered.

"What club?" Shinichi asked in confusion.

"The Hinamizawa After-School club!"

_Oi, oi. This reminds me of the Detective Boys..._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:I do not own either show. **

**Chapter 5: Internal Conflict**

* * *

><p>The Hinamizawa after-school club was as boisterous as it had ever been, but today the excitement seemed to have gone up several levels higher than usual. The reason why was because two new members had joined them: Kudou Shinichi and Kuroba Kaito. Both boys had proved to be <em>extremely<em> popular with the females of Hinamizawa's school. Including, but not limited to, Mion Sonozaki, Rena Ryuuguu (though usually she was more attracted to Hanyuu and Rika.)

The leader, Sonozaki Mion, was sitting at the front of the classroom. She had pulled some of the desks together in order to start the club. Rena was seated next to her, while Satoko was on her left. Beside Satoko was Rika, who was smiling innocently as always, and Hanyuu was next to her, averting her eyes from everyone, and then Kaito was beside her, trying to cheer her up by offering to show her various magic tricks that he could perform. Keiichi and Shinichi were at the very end of the table. Both were equally bored at the lack of action going on.

Keiichi had his hand on his cheek, and was trying hard not to fall asleep, when suddenly a hand whacked his desk...hard. He looked up in terror and realized Mion had noticed his dozing off. "U-Uh...hi Mion. What's up?"

Mion scowled at him for a few moments. "Kei-chan, were you _even _paying attention to a thing I said?" She said menacingly. You did not want to make the heir of the Sonozaki mad, because then you would have to deal with your worst foe ever. It was too bad that his compatriot beside him had no idea as to just how bad Mion Sonozaki could be.

"U-Um...maybe a little bit. Maybe I was, or maybe I wasn't...Kudou-san, can't you back me up...oi?" He whimpered, looking over at the older boy for help. His eyes widened upon seeing the aforementioned teenage boy was fast asleep on the desk. His blue eyes were tightly closed, and he seemed...to be dreaming, and he was talking in his sleep.

Keiichi was suddenly curious as to what he might be dreaming about. He said, "Mion, Kudou-san is talking in his sleep. Mightn't it be more fun if we learned what he was saying?"

A predatory smile made its way onto Mion's face. "Kei-chan...that's a superb idea! Let's do it!" She cried, and suddenly both of them were up near Shinichi and trying to hear what he was saying.

Meanwhile, Shinichi was caught in a flashback of the past...

* * *

><p><em>The pain was excruciating. It felt like every one of his limbs was being pulled away from him slowly, painfully...his flesh was on fire as well. He could barely move, as he lay there...sweat coming off his body as he lay there, writhing in sheer pain. "R-Ran...don't come..." <em>

_She was coming closer, worry evident on her features. "Shinichi, you need to see a doctor!" She exclaimed, coming towards him. Shinichi had to get away, before she could see him turn back into Conan. _

_"N-No...don't." He moaned, and then he fell down the stairs. He hid in the bedroom, and then his heart started pounding harder and harder, until it felt like he was having a heart attack. "N-No...I don't want...to, not now...I have to tell her...my fee-!" _

_And then, just like that, he was Conan again. _

* * *

><p><em>He held the girl close as she sobbed into his shirt, apologizing over and over. <em>

_"Why? Why didn't you save Onee-san? If you could have...then she would still be alive..." The young girl whined, no longer seeming like a cold, frosty girl and seeming more like the child that she was physically. _

_Conan, no...__**Shinichi**__ looked up at the ceiling, too ashamed to even gaze at her. Guilt rose up from within him. How could he have betrayed this girl's trust in him? He had let her sister die, and it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so curious and followed after those men that day, his life wouldn't have become this terrible, and Ran wouldn't be so unhappy, and wouldn't be bawling over him night after heart wrenching night, and this girl...would be happy. It was all his fault, all of it. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, feeling utterly hopeless. _

_"I'm sorry doesn't cut it! Someone's dead! My oneesama! You could have helped her! You're a detective!" She bawled, and Haibara Ai was still hysterical..._

_"I'm sorry, Haibara. Truly, I am...I did my best to save her...but it was already too late." _

* * *

><p><em>"Shinichi, why did you lie to me? You were by my side all this time, you dumb detective! Why didn't you tell me, you jerk?" Ran snapped, tears falling from her face. <em>

_"R-Ran, don't get upset. I-I wanted to tell you, but it was too dangerous-" _

* * *

><p>Then, Shinichi felt someone shaking him. A gentle hand was on his shoulders, almost like Ran's...light and soothing. "I'm sorry..." It whispered.<p>

Shinichi's brilliant blue eyes shot open, and he sat up in alarm. His eyes widened upon realizing that he was still in the Hinamizawa school. Beside him were Maebara-san and Sonozaki-san, both with confused expressions on their faces, and Furude Rika was beside them as well, with an oddly sad look on her face as she studied him.

"W-What?" Shinichi snapped coldly. He faltered as he noticed the bluenette staring at him intently. Oddly enough, her gaze was as mature and intimidating as Haibara's, even though she was just a child.

"We were worried. We heard you moaning in your sleep. You sounded like you were having nightmares." Mion said, her green eyes filled with concern.

"I wonder what they were about...can you tell us?" Rika said mysteriously.

Shinichi's eyes widened, then he turned away. "No...you wouldn't understand." He snapped.

Keiichi came over to him. "Hey, you can confide in us. We're not going to judge you for whatever you're hiding."

Kaito chirped in then. "I believe it's not quite time for him to reveal his darkest secrets just yet, because everyone has things they want to hide, right?" He said seriously, his eyes full of sadness.

"That's right." Rena replied. "We mustn't force our good intentions on Kudou-san just yet, because he's not ready to open up to us yet. We have to give him some time. But Rena understands what it's like to be all alone, with no one there to guide you...the coldness of the world around you...a world that doesn't care, and you feel like you're losing your mind in the loneliness... I wonder, is that what you've gone through, Kudou-san?" She deduced intelligently, her ice blue eyes staring at him.

He flinched. _She could be a great detective. _"...I suppose you could say that. Maybe just maybe, I've gone through hell, time and time again...with no hope of escaping..."

Rika's eyes widened considerably as she watched this boy. "Could he be...my key to escaping fate?" She whispered, so that only Hanyuu could hear.

"Hau...he certainly is interesting, isn't he?" She whispered.

"Cheer up, meitantei-san!" Kaito exclaimed, popping a flower in front of Shinichi's face. "Would Ran-san want to see you this upset?"

"Who's Ran-san, auuu?" Hanyuu inquired. Her purple eyes scoured over Shinichi's face as she studied him as well, much like a scientist does over an interesting specimen. "What are you hiding?"

Shinichi smiled plastically. "Well...let's forget that happened, shall we?"

Rena watched the detective with curious eyes. "You certainly are a good liar, I see." She whispered. Earlier, she saw that she and this boy were not that much different. He had been through hell, she could tell that from what she had heard in his sleep.

_"No...I don't want to..." "I'm sorry..." What kind of skeletons in your closet are you hiding, I wonder? _

Rena spoke up then. "What kind of secrets are you hiding?" She asked furtively.

"Mii...let's not pressure him." Rika said gently, smiling at Shinichi, which soothed him a little.

He shivered at the brown-haired girl. This place was becoming more and more creepy by the second. The only saving grace here was the fact that the girl Rika and the little girls were both very interesting to interact with. That was a great thing to him, since this place had literally bored him to death.

_Are they all insane or something? Probably not. Who am I kidding? They all seem like nice kids. _

"Hey, everyone, let's stop torturing Shinichi-san now. Let's get down to some games. I have some great magic tricks!" Kaito said, flashing Shinichi an encouraging smile that clearly said: I'm here for you, so don't get all emo.

"Don't call me Shinichi, you barou!" Shinichi snapped, hurling another soccer ball at him, which caused Kaito to laugh mischievously. Kaito dodged the impending object of doom, and ran away.

"This is certainly turning interesting!" Hojo Satoko chirped, and threw a shoe his way. Kaito grinned evilly and dodged, at least until a whole bunch of trout came flying out of it and covered him from head to toe.

"UWAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FISHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pure terror.

Shinichi couldn't help but grin at the way Kaito was screaming his head off at a bunch of harmless fish.

"I-I hate you, Shinichi! Why aren't you helping me?" Kaito screamed.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is the next chapter for OLC. I'm looking forward to your responses and thoughts while I work on this story. BTW, I watched DC movie 4 yesterday, and I still have movies 14, 15, and 16 to watch and catch up to. As well as some of the later episodes. I still don't know too much about what's going on right now...who is Masumi Sera? And Tooro Amuro? Who the hell are they? Can anyone give me some answers in your reviews if you know? Also, who thinks that Subaru guy is really Akai? I do. **

**Chapter 6 Spinning gears of fate **

* * *

><p>It was odd that she would feel this tense. Everything was over, wasn't it? The terror caused by the Black Organization and their kind, the torment and anguish that she and Kudou-kun had endured was over now, wasn't it? She should just quit this constant worry that lay deep within her, as she had no need for it. After all, if Gin sought revenge against her for betraying the Organization, he would have acted by now.<p>

However, Haibara Ai couldn't help but feel that there was one thing out of place. Kudou Shinichi's unusually outgoing nature lately had really puzzled her. Seeing as he had just returned to his real age, at first his excitement seemed understandable. Who wouldn't be happy after living a second childhood for two long years? But that wasn't the only reason, of course. Kudou Shinichi was a tough nut to crack, and what he showed on the outside was usually a lot different than how he really felt on the inside.

If he was unusually cheerful and happy, then that meant only one thing: that he had stumbled onto a murder case that really excited him, or else that he was being uncharacteristically foolish, an act that was quite unlike the paranoid, serious young man she'd gotten to know over the course of two years while they were trapped in the bodies of children. Or else, something even worse had happened: he had let his guard down. Even though Gin and Vermouth were in jail, that didn't mean that supporters of them didn't still exist, and some of them lurked in quite high and influential positions.

The Black Organization was not over just because Kudou had caught some of them. Their influence crept everywhere in the world like poison ivy seeps into a house, slowly entangling everything and everyone in it within its twisted grasp, and everyone who got caught up in their darkness was forever changed. The great detective himself was a great example, she thought. From what she had seen and heard from her sister, Kudou was a cheery and arrogant high school detective. However, when _she _had laid eyes on him, as she lay dying, he was a cursed boy, full of pain and despair.

And when Ai herself had laid eyes on him, he was a changed man. He was forever wary of those around him, paranoid of even the closest of his friends, and completely mature. He was afraid of anything and everything in the world. He feared if Ran found out his true identity that Gin would kill her, he feared never being able to return back to his body again, he feared getting his friends caught up in his darkness, but at the same time, he didn't feel fear about any of these things.

For, Kudou Shinichi was internally and eternally contradictory. He could be cheery and happy on the outside, and yet truly feel depressed and dreary on the inside. Haibara had made a mental note to act extra wary of him when he was like that. Like today. He had just been by here not too long ago, and he had gone into his house. She'd watched him with envy present in her turquoise eyes as he interacted with Ran and Kaito.

She and he both came from different worlds, and he knew that as much as she did. _He _had friends, a normal life (well, relatively normal), was good in school and soccer, was popular and had a good reputation. He was also quite innocent and naïve about the ways of the world. He was idealistic and dreamed of a world where no one died. For that goal, he fought bitterly to make that world a reality and had arrested killer after killer for committing (in his mind, at least) unforgivable crimes against humanity. He always, always, _always _told her that killing was a terrible thing to do, no matter what happened to that person.

* * *

><p><em>She,<em> however, came from an entirely different world. One where emotion and feelings didn't really matter that much, and only crime and killing were the two certainties that people of her kind were aware of. She had never had a warm childhood; the only one she had known was a terribly lonely and desperate one. Her parents were gone in a mysterious accident, she had had no friends save for her sister, her life had never been normal, she was average in school but proficient in science, and had been the outcast.

At school in America, she had never really been the popular girl. The children there knew the difference between her and them, and they let her know it, too. She remembered the looks that girls had cast her at lunch, the whispers and snickers behind her back. She was smart enough to know that they all resented her for being so smart and "arrogant" and coming from a rich family. They knew she was someone special, but nobody dared say anything to her face, because they knew she was someone special. Her caretakers had been resentful of taking care of a child that wasn't theirs, and they had ignored her and mistreated her.

At one time, Gin had been her partner, but then he had slowly turned against her, and now he saw her only as a dangerous, disgusting traitor that needed to be erased from the face of the earth. He had killed many of her closest friends and relatives and told her it was necessary. She had believed his lies many times, but the final straw had come when her sister had been killed at the hands of Gin. She had finally seen through his lies.

She never got to know the kind of peaceful life that Kudou Shinichi knew. His life was something she never got to know, it was more like a fleeting dream; a lost aspiration drifting around in her heart that was never realized. That was why she was not expecting both of them to come in through the door, with serious looks on their faces.

* * *

><p>"Futago-sama, please wait in the other room. Agasa-hakase is quite busy at the moment." She replied icily, with her usual dish of sarcasm. She usually used this with these two, and they didn't really seem to mind. Well, Kudou didn't, anyway. He looked more confused, almost like he didn't understand why she was giving him a look like that. Well, if he didn't, then she was almost certain that maybe he had lost his mind. Didn't he know her better than that?<p>

"What's going on, Haibara? Why are you being so cold to Kuroba?" His voice was curious, but there was an edge of ice to it. He was onto her, she knew. He was merely probing her, trying to figure out what was going on inside her head. _Well, well, here comes the meitantei. _

"Why did you bring someone like him here, then?" She asked, motioning to a certain magician, who stared at her curiously before bursting out into mock tears. She sighed. He was quite melodramatic, perhaps a little annoying, but she didn't let much get under her skin, so too bad for him.

"Why~ why do you hate me so much, Ojousan?" He whined, obviously she had touched a nerve. Quite an attention-getter, he was. She wondered whether Kudou was as unable to deal with the magician as she was. He was probably much better at tact than she was. Or maybe not, she thought, as he scolded the whining magician and promptly got a look of remorse.

"Because...you're annoying and useless." Haibara replied dryly. She wasn't expecting to hear laughter coming from Shinichi's mouth. He hadn't laughed for a while, and she liked hearing it, actually. Not that she would tell him that, of course. It would merely ruin his detective skills.

"I've been feeling a bit better, Haibara, but the case I'm in now...is, interesting, to say the least. I've met someone very interesting." He replied vaguely. There was a message in those words. He wanted her to stay and listen to him talk.

"I've got all the time in the world. What is it?" Haibara asked. She stood and stared at them both. Well, she strained to look at them both, since she had decided to stay in her child body and age with the Shonen Tantei. Kudou naturally protested this idea, but she had made her mind up and he had to go along with what she wanted. She had always been alone, so when would that ever change? It wasn't like there was anyone who felt like she did, alone, neglected, waiting for the world to end, right?

"Well...an interesting situation has arisen in the village we've been investigating. For starters, they don't recognize me. Also, there are no cell phones in this village, so something curious seems to be the answer. Have you ever heard of this village called Hinamizawa?" He questioned, suddenly turning serious. The look in his eyes definitely meant that he wanted answers.

"I have never heard of that place before." Haibara responded promptly, staring at him intently. Those blue eyes of hers seemed to never miss anything he said or did. That was typical of her, though. Shinichi merely frowned.

"I'm...a little intrigued, is all. This place we have been going to seems unique, somehow. Also, have you ever heard of the Black Organization possibly having links in other cities? I think that could be possible, but no one recognizes me so far. Isn't that unusual?"

Haibara stopped her train of thought then, and turned to face him. "Kudou-kun...are you saying that you wish for me to accompany you to this place? To a place that could possibly put us in danger?"

"Have you heard of anyone else other than us who de-aged?" He inquired.

"That would make a nice article in the paper." Kaito joked, who promptly received a smack to the face with a soccer ball. "Oww...was that really necessary?" He moaned.

"Yes, now shut up." Shinichi responded through gritted teeth. As usual, Haibara wasn't giving him straight answers. Not that that was out of character for her, though. She was used to puzzling everyone about her true nature and her true intentions. For some reason, that reminded him vaguely of the blue-haired girl he'd met earlier. What was her name again? Furude Rika?

"Kudou...if you want to, I will just do some research on Hinamizawa...however, I will NOT make a careless mistake and go to some distant town. That's for you to do, meitantei-san. After all...it's up to you to solve the mystery, isn't that right, Kudou?" Haibara remarked, and then turned away.

"Wait, Haibara!" Shinichi cried, coming closer to her for a second.

"...I have no interest in exposing myself to unknown dangers. Something tells me that this is a foolish mistake, Kudou-san...placing trust in people you don't even know...you ought to be more careful." She whispered softly.

He stared after her, his blue eyes wide in shock. He turned to stare at Kaito, who looked equally stunned at her cold dismissal of them both. "There must be something on her mind. Or else...perhaps we're all headed for a bad ending."

Kaito stared after Haibara's retreating figure and for once, a smile wasn't on his face. "I wonder what she meant by that...is she really that much like Koizumi?" He mused aloud.

"Who's Koizumi...?" Shinichi asked, at a loss for words.

"Just an annoying classmate of mine. That's all." He responded.

* * *

><p>The moon shone down brightly on them both as they sat outside. Both girls were silent and said nothing. The one was preoccupied with the day's events on her mind, the other was unsure of what would happen within the next few days...or weeks, possibly.<p>

"Hanyuu...what do you think fate has in store for us?" Rika inquired, before sipping a glass of wine from her cup and stopping to look up at the moon again. She was entranced by the moon's bright, eternally luminescent glow. It never seemed to change at all no matter what world they were in.

"Hau...I wish I knew."

"Aren't we up late, Rika-chama?" A familiar silky voice uttered. Both Rika and Hanyuu turned to see a blond-haired woman with droopy golden eyes gazing at them in morbid curiosity. Her pupils were slanted and there was a nasty look in her eyes.

"Takano..." Rika muttered, instantly tensing at the memory of her old nemesis who had torn her open time and time again. If only she remembered that memory before, then maybe this much time might not have been wasted to no avail. Then she could live a happy life with her friends.

Hanyuu resisted the urge to glare at her enemy. "Hello, Takano-san." She muttered, her eyes downcast/

"Who do we have here? You are quite unnatural with those horns of yours, you know. Almost like a demon..." She muttered, more to herself.

"Hauuu...that's not a nice thing to say." Hanyuu said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She could not let her enemy see her down in the dumps like this.

"My, my, someone is touchy-"

"Nipah...please don't pick on my cousin, for she is very sensitive, that she is." Rika interjected.

Takano seemed to half-smile a little at that, but there was something...sinister to it. Rika frowned at that. She didn't like the look on her face.

"Rena wonders why you're out so late, that she does." A voice behind her said, and both of them turned around to see Rena standing there with her hatchet on full display behind her. The look in her eyes was blank and mysterious.

"Rena!" Rika exclaimed, then flinched upon looking at her friend. Rena seemed...a little out of it.

"Ara, ara, if it isn't Rena-chan!" Takano cried, looking even more like a wolf who had just found its prey.

"Why are you harassing my friends, Rena wonders?" Rena said, raising her nata slightly.

"I was only teasing with them. You simply don't trust your elders do you, Rena-chan?" Takano replied nervously. As she walked away, she called after them: "I won't forget our meeting here tonight. I do believe that this year's Watanagashi festival will be simply...wonderful. Especially with the curse and all..."

Hanyuu's face was stained with tears, Rika was more angry than anything else, and Rena seemed more or less emotionless. "That woman is annoying."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:Here is the next chapter of OLC! It mostly centers around the Detective Conan characters, with a little bit of Rika and Hanyuu mixed in. **

**Chapter 7 The one who waits**

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><p>Ayumi Yoshida was always waiting for someone. No matter how many times she tried to deny it, she was always doing so; whether she was waiting for Genta and Mitsuhiko to come walk home with her from school, or waiting for that letter from Conan-kun to come, she always was. Wait, maybe she was waiting on a specific person more than anyone else.<p>

Conan-kun, the light that warmed up her life and made her life enjoyable, was gone. All of the Detective Boys suffered whenever he had left. It had been so sudden that Ayumi thought that maybe it was just yesterday, instead of a few months that he had seemingly vanished. How long, she thought, had it been that Conan-kun had been smiling with them, laughing at their jokes, and patting her head?

As she walked to school alone (Genta and Mitsuhiko had stayed home because both of them were sick), she felt the loneliness overcome her like the wind; fast, quick, and ruthless. She shook her head and decided to pretend that she wasn't alone and that Conan-kun was still with her. She _must _stay strong, for his sake! After all, she loved him and he probably did love her-after all, why would he send her letters if he didn't feel the same way, right? The eight-year old sighed and kept on trudging along.

She stopped upon noticing something very familiar along the ground. A red bow tie was just lying there lazily; as if its owner had just dropped it and hurried away somewhere. Her eyes widened. Was it possible that this bow tie was..._his? _She picked it up and studied it, and her eyes watered up with tears upon realizing that she was mistaken. This wasn't his. It was different; one more suited for an adult. A few tears slipped down her face. "No...I was _mistaken? But this looks exactly like Conan-kun's..." _

She stopped and brushed her tears away with her hand, embarrassed that she had even let them slip and walked timidly by a group of adults who stared at her with curious and sympathetic stares. They probably thought that she had been picked on by a group of bullies on her way home, or that she was just lost from her mother and father. Well, she couldn't take it any longer-she wanted to have companionship so bad that she could almost taste it.

"Are you lonely, girl?" A soft voice whispered, almost as light as the wind itself. Ayumi looked around in confusion for who had said it. She couldn't find anyone until she bumped into someone. She looked up and was surprised to see a young girl around her age standing there with sadness permeating her features.

She had long blue hair that fell past her shoulders and lonely purple eyes. She gave off an air of loneliness as well; and it reminded her of Conan for some strange reason. "Are you all right, girl?"

"Who are you?" Ayumi asked, and was shocked to see the girl smile slightly before staring at her wistfully.

"Merely an observer of humanity, girl. I am Rika Furude. You are Ayumi Yoshida, right?" The girl asked gently.

"Y-Yes. Do you want to play with me?" Ayumi asked childishly, but when one child meets another, what do you expect them to say?

The girl laughed slightly, and then smiled. "It's been a long time since anyone has ever said that to me in such an innocent manner. Do you wish to grow up someday, girl? Don't lose your childhood too fast now, or else it will never come back." She said vaguely. She spoke so calmly and her words were even, almost like an adult's.

"What do you mean?" Ayumi asked, but then the girl shook her head and walked beside her. Suddenly, both of them bumped into someone. Someone who was much bigger than they were.

* * *

><p>"Are you all right?" A gentle voice asked. It sounded so familiar; so reassuring, that Ayumi started to cry slightly. She felt a pair of strong arms pick her up and cradle her in them. The person holding her was strong and brave. She looked up into the face of the person who was holding her. Her eyes widened.<p>

A teenage boy was holding her in his arms. He was wearing an ordinary school uniform. His bag was on the ground; obviously he had to put it on the ground in order for him to pick her up. His brown hair was spiky and messy in the front. Brilliant blue eyes blinked at Ayumi for a few moments before he responded. "Hello, ojousan. You are...?"

"C-Conan-kun?" Ayumi stammered, staring at the boy intently. For a second, he had almost resembled Conan. Well, he did have the same hairstyle and eye color, but he was much older, so there was no way he was Conan-kun.

"Gomen, I think you've mistaken me for someone else." The boy responded nervously. His gaze moved to the bluenette standing on the ground regarding him with wary eyes. "Ah, Furude-san! Where's your...cousin?"

"She's at home." Rika replied simply. "Besides...don't you have more important things to discuss with Yoshida-san, Kudou?"

"Can you put me down, please?" Ayumi asked, blushing slightly. She was embarrassed at the fact that an older boy had picked her up, after all she had just humiliated herself in front of her new playmate, but Rika-chan didn't seem to mind that much.

"Ah, if it isn't Ayumi-chan!" A female voice exclaimed. Ayumi turned around to see a brunette behind the brown-haired boy, staring at her with friendly eyes.

"Ran-onee-chan!" Ayumi exclaimed. "Who is this?" She asked, as the brown-haired boy set her down gently, careful not to let her fall or get herself hurt. He had such tender hands and the warmth that was coming from him was contagious. She knew this feeling very well. He was someone very familiar to her.

"I'm Kudou Shinichi, Ayumi-chan! Conan told me all about you in his letters!" Shinichi said proudly, smirking slightly at her, but upon seeing her sad face, he stopped.

"Do you think...maybe I could write a letter to him? I've been writing him letters and he's never returned any of them. Since you know him so well, could you maybe give them to him for me?" Ayumi asked slowly, feeling tears again rising to life in her eyes.

Rika's eyes grew sad slightly upon seeing the girl crying. She didn't know that much about Kudou Shinichi, but it appeared he, too was battling his own inner demons. She knew the look of being haunted by a past that one could not overcome-since she herself had dealt with it so many times. The look in his eyes was one of eternal sadness, which was why she felt a strange bond between the two of them, even though they had just met. She had asked the latter to take her to his hometown for a bit, and not tell the others. Satoko would worry too much about her, she knew.

* * *

><p>Shinichi's eyes saddened. It was just like before. Even though he thought that by returning to his old life that all the lies associated with being Edogawa Conan would go away, they haunted him like ghosts. Now he had to lie and say that he wasn't Conan even though Conan had never really existed at all-and had merely been a lie concocted at a desperate time in his life.<p>

"Shinichi, are you...?" Ran asked slightly, whispering in his ear. She shot a curious look at the blue-haired girl beside them. She gave off an air of not being a child. There was something slightly creepy about her. "Who is she, Shinichi?"

"Nipah, I'm Furude Rika!" Rika chirped, putting on the old mask back on. She had already spent too much time without it, especially around this boy. She had to hide her true nature a lot more than she had done so far. She had left herself wide open and she didn't want to risk putting more people in danger.

"She's so cute, Shinichi!" Ran said, starting to talk in a childish tone towards the blue-haired girl.

Shinichi sighed. Now she was acting exactly like the brown-haired girl in that strange class. He wondered whether that girl had figured out his secret. He didn't know what she really wanted from him, but he knew that there had not been a simple reason behind why she had invited him out here.

"You look just like Conan-kun, Shinichi-oniisan. You remind me a lot of him." Ayumi remarked.

"...Ayumi-chan...I-I..." Shinichi began, but stopped. "We were just on our way to school. Furude-san is a friend from a distant town and I have been visiting there for a while. She wanted to come with us-"

"Shinichi-niisan, you know where Conan is, don't you?" Ayumi remarked pointedly.

"Mii, who's Conan?" Rika asked.

"He's an old friend of mine. He disappeared a while ago. I miss him a lot." Ayumi explained briefly.

Rika's purple eyes darted over to Shinichi for a moment. "Was he your first love? If so, find out how he feels about you."

"Huh? But he's-"

"Never mind." Rika responded sharply.

"Ayumi-chan, can I talk to you for a moment?" Shinichi asked.

Before Ayumi could respond, she felt someone shaking her.

* * *

><p>"...Wake up, Ayumi-chan!" A male voice said.<p>

"Conan-kun...?" She asked, lifting her head up in order to meet Genta's worried face.

"You were dreaming in class again." He responded. "Was it about that stupid Conan again? I have to admit, I do miss him. What is that idiot doing anyways?"

"Sort of." Ayumi said, staring out the window thoughtfully.

Shinichi sighed as he was dragged into yet another one of the crazy Hinamizawa Club games. So far, he had won around three games and had lost to the rest. The first two were deduction games, which he excelled at, so those were easily won. The last one was a card game. They seemed to play a lot of card games.

Right now, Kaito was busy arguing with the brown-haired boy, Keiichi, over some sort of bad move he had made that had caused Kaito to lose most of his cards and the tactical advantage he had held over him. Both of them seemed to not like the other very much.

Shinichi sighed, and his gaze turned to the window. He was so busy doing that that he didn't even notice Hanyuu grab one of his cards until it was too late.

"Hau au, you dropped your guard!" She chanted.

"Kudou-san, you seem to space out a lot. Rena has noticed that, and she wonders what you're spacing out about." Rena said, forcing him back into reality.

He blinked a few times in confusion before he realized that he'd lost several of his cards due to his inattentiveness. "Dammit!" He cried.

"Mii, you mustn't lose focus at any time in the game, sir." Rika scolded.

"Why are you always so serious, Kudou-san? This old man thinks you should lighten up!" Mion cried cheerfully.

Shinichi stared at her with weary eyes. "I can't. I lost the ability to genuinely lighten up years ago."

"Stop being so grouchy, Mr. Pessimist!" Kaito yelped, before jumping over Keiichi's head and landing on Shinichi's desk. "Cheer up! I bought you some flowers, my beloved!"

"Cut it out." Shinichi responded coolly. "I'm not in the mood."

Kaito knew there was something wrong when Kudou Shinichi was not lighthearted. It probably concerned Ran or a murder case he couldn't solve. "What is it?"

* * *

><p>"I was out walking, and I heard people screaming and it turns out that a woman has been found dead with nails sticking out of her arms." Shinichi whispered. Kaito's face hardened.<p>

"Your magnet is sticking out again, hmmmm? Just can't escape those cases, can you?"

"Shut up. I had to tell you twice to stop touching the jewels on the display case of the store we were in yesterday, and you call _me_ crazy?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:Thank you for reviewing!**

**Chapter 8 Uncertain Future**

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><p>"Perhaps you know already about the plight I suffer. Then again, you have been with me since the beginning, right Hanyuu?" Furude Rika asked as she took a sip of her Bernkastel wine that she had sitting next to her perch on the window sill. She breathed as she took in the night air that always seemed to be eternally relaxing. Hinamizawa had a peaceful climate and that was why she loved it so much, however she knew it would invariably change. This, too, was something dictated by fate.<p>

Her friend gazed sadly at her and whined. "Rika...please don't get so depressed. This is the last world. We have to fight on for the sake of a better tomorrow. I know how much you want to save your friends...but a pessimistic attitude will do nothing." Furude Hanyuu whined, pushing a strand of her lavender hair back with her fingers.

"This is very ironic, coming from the whiny god who has always been a pessimist. It wasn't that long ago that _you _were the whiny one. What caused you to change your mind, Hanyuu? Was it the way everyone worked so hard in the last world?" Rika asked, sipping her wine again. The wine was sweet as always, her favorite. It was aged well. Satoko had no idea about Rika's secret stash of wine, and even if she had any recollection, she would forget every time a new world began. So that was an advantage for Rika to take advantage of.

She remembered virtually every world that had happened, and so did Hanyuu. The others rarely remembered their experiences in other worlds, except for the last two worlds, where they had recalled their past experiences and had teamed together to stop another tragedy from happening. It had failed, of course, but it had stirred up a little bit of hope in Rika's closed-off heart.

She knew that it was pointless to hope because every world would end up being doomed. This one of course, would fail. Somehow, she would just die alone and forgotten while her world would die. The two new transfer students couldn't change fate at all, she knew. Little did she know that she was literally wrong about how much she underestimated them.

"Rika, do you remember the last world? Also, seeing those two new students brings up another surge of hope. I feel like those two are also going to contribute their fair share of happiness and sorrow to this world. I hope Takano doesn't get to them first with her lies." Hanyuu said.

"I remember the way she acted towards you tonight. Certainly I would have hit her if she had kept up her tirade. However, I felt no desire to. Doing so would simply make me just as evil and creepy as she is." Rika replied. "By the way, those two kids don't live around here, do they?"

Hanyuu shook her head. "I know they live in a distant place far away from here. It's almost like they come from a different world. It's a strange feeling, Rika. I don't quite know how to explain it. They fill me with a sense of hope. I listened to some of the things that boy was dreaming about a few days ago. It sounds like he has had a lot of bad experiences in the past, like everyone here."

"Do you think that the Syndrome will get him? He is an outsider, after all..." Rika trailed off, not certain how to finish her thought. Certainly, the boy was quite nice, but Rika barely knew anything about him aside from his name and his hobbies. She knew that she could never trust outsiders.

"I'm not sure, Rika. So long as he's around you, he should be fine. So far, none of them seem to be too paranoid." Hanyuu reassured.

"Yes, that's a small comfort. I know that pretty soon, things will get worse."

"Rika...don't give up now. You can save everyone this time around." Hanyuu reassured.

"That's what you've ALWAYS told me, in every world we've ever been in, and yet, nothing _ever _changes. Do you really think that by reassuring me every time a world ends will always work? I'm getting sick of being here and suffering through this hell! There's no reason at all for me to exist..."

"Rika, don't think that way. I don't know what I would do without you being here! You know that we cannot give up just yet! I think Kudou Shinichi has the answers we need. We just need to keep him away from Takano and TOKYO's lies. We can't let him get paranoid." Hanyuu reassured, almost looking like her heart was going to break.

Rika sighed, and frowned upon realizing that she had just woken up Satoko, who was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She realized that they had been too loud. This wasn't the first time her talking with Hanyuu had caused her best friend to wake up. She had to keep her true nature under cover as much as possible, even though she really, really hated putting on a fake smile and pretending that everything was okay when it wasn't. If only there was some way out of this endless cycle of hatred and despair and pain. Somehow, she had a feeling that Kudou Shinichi was the key to the end, even though she didn't know what he could possibly do to make her life better.

_**He's nothing more than a fool. He can't help me. **_

* * *

><p>Shinichi Kudou sneezed suddenly as he sat in his library. He wiped his nose all of a sudden and frowned upon seeing that Ran was laughing at him. "What's so funny, Ran?" He snapped.<p>

"Shinichi, was someone criticizing you? Who was it?" Ran asked. "Maybe it was Sonoko."

"Why do I get the feeling that SHE was criticizing me?" Shinichi muttered under his breath. Somehow, his mind flashed back to the blue-haired girl by the name of Rika Furude. There was something very interesting about her. Somehow, those purple eyes of hers seemed far too mature for those of a child's. He had to know why she acted so much like an adult. Was it possible that there were more victims of APOTOX out there than he imagined possible? It was a possibility-though it was a highly unlikely one. Shinichi knew that people with his sort of condition were extremely rare.

The odds of her being a victim were about as likely as lightning striking him inside his house, or Sherlock Holmes coming to life and wanting to sign his autograph. However, somehow even while he had been Conan, he still hoped vainly that someone would sympathize with his plight and understand the tedium it had been to go through first grade again, to be treated like a child and never listened to, no matter what he tried, to have his best friend holding his hand and not calling him by his name...alas, no one besides Haibara understood the feeling. Why did he get the feeling that Furude Rika understood that feeling completely?

"She sure is a mysterious girl." He whispered. Ran stared at him in confusion.

"Who is?" Ran asked. "Who are you talking about, Shinichi?" The brunette turned to stare at her childhood friend curiously. He had been acting rather odd lately. It had still been hard for her to get over the fact that Conan was really Shinichi-the similarities between the two had been _so obvious-_why she had never confronted him about it was beyond her. She still remembered the day she had found out...it was hard to believe that it had only been around three weeks since she had seen Conan...turn into Shinichi. That was a horrifying image that she would probably never get out of her mind.

To think her childhood friend had suffered this entire time and had never even asked her to help him shoulder that pain-much less confide in her the way he did in the professor, Hattori-kun, or any of the others who knew his little secret. It hurt a lot knowing that she had treated him like a child who didn't know anything when she really should have listened to Conan instead of babying him. Then again, when he looked like a seven year old, who would not rationally assume that he was just a child?

She couldn't help but remember the disturbing day...to think it had all started when she had found out that Conan was headed back overseas. She wanted to go and say farewell to him because she would most likely never see him again, and that fact had made her very sad. Now, she would just laugh at the memory of her being so concerned about "Conan."

"Ran, are you all right?" Shinichi said, snapping her out of her reverie. His blue eyes peered into hers for a few moments until she blushed upon realizing he was extremely close to her...she remembered how he had declared his love for her only months ago in London.

"S-Shinichi...you don't have to be so close to me. It's kinda embarassing." She moaned, stepping away from him. By now, her face was bright red.

"Gomen, Ran. I-I-I- didn't mean to...uh, you know, stand so close to you. I was thinking about a girl I met in this village..."

Ran's eyes narrowed. "Shinichi...are you in love with this girl?" She cried. Suddenly, she looked very demonic and Shinichi jumped back in fear.

"Iya, Ran...it's not what you think...at all. This girl is only eleven years old...she just acts like Haibara and I used to...that's all! I'm not a pedophile or anything!" Shinichi shrieked.

"Oh...I'm sorry. I would never think you would be like that! So, tell me about this girl!" Ran said.

"Well...her name is Rika Furude. She's so mysterious and she gives off an air of...knowing more than she should for her age. She acts a lot like an adult. I'm just curious about her, that's all." He replied simply.

"Oh..." She said, stopping.

"So, can I come with you the next time around?" Ran asked, but Shinichi shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Ran...but this is a mystery that Kaito and I must solve. Well, he sort of forced me into it...but I don't want you getting hurt, all right?" Shinichi said softly.

Ran's eyes widened. "I was just thinking about how I found out you were Conan...that wasn't a very happy time for me."

Shinichi blushed slightly. "Ehh...that wasn't a very happy time for me, either...especially since you _saw me changing back..._you certainly acted like a demon then. Well, you had every right to, especially since I was lying to you for so long...almost like how I'm lying to the kids...there. I do want to be honest, but I just can't. You know how bad it got for me...it's hard for me to be honest with anyone anymore. But I _have to do it. _I will talk to that girl. I want to know the truth behind why she acts the way she does."

"Shinichi..." Ran trailed off, stunned by his words. She had never known him to be this sad, and she never, ever, ever, liked him being saddened by anything. She had always been worried over his constant disappearances and somehow, the second that Edogawa Conan had turned up at her doorstep, she knew that he was Shinichi. Somehow, it was like a sixth sense...she knew Shinichi so well, but the entire time she had just denied the truth and had attempted to make herself think that he was a different person.

* * *

><p>"I must know...the truth behind Kudou Shinichi, Hanyuu. I need to make sure they don't run into Takano. They must not get swallowed up by her lies and deceptions. This time, I <em>will <em>conquer my destiny. Will you stand by my side and fight, Hanyuu?"

This time, Hanyuu nodded and the two of them both smiled.

"Rika...stop making so much noise." Satoko whined.

"Sorry, Satoko. You can keep on sleeping. The two of us'll go to bed soon enough, that is so. Nipahhhh!" She said cheerfully.

* * *

><p>It was an incredibly hot afternoon, and the entire village of Hinamizawa could feel the heat. Rumiko Chie had the air conditioning blasting in the classroom the entire school day, and still the heat lingered much like an oppressive phantom on everyone's shoulders. Rika was practically panting and desperately she wished that she had somehow cut her hair. She hated having long hair in the summer, but seeing as summer eternally repeated itself, she should have at least attempted to get it cut sometime in the repeating worlds.<p>

_Poor Mion..._

Mion was probably the one who was faring the worst. The poor girl was sweating visibly...even though she had tried to tie her long hair back, it was still escaping the braid and slipping down her shoulders. "I'm so tired..." She moaned.

Hanyuu was fast asleep. She had grown bored very fast. Rika sighed. Hanyuu's attention span was not very long, so something like school had never interested her very much. Satoko was barely awake while Rena was daydreaming. Keiichi was the only one who really seemed to be paying attention. Rika knew the reason why - he wanted to study so much, and a pained look made its way across her face. The other two, Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi, weren't doing that well, either.

The Kuroba boy was flirting with the girls by entertaining them with various magic tricks, including making his pencils, erasers, and school books disappear, reappear, and summoning bouquets of flowers out of seemingly nowhere. He sure was a womanizer, Rika thought, and sighed. Her gaze went to Kudou, who was at least trying to pay attention. His gaze fell on hers for a moment. Those blue eyes of his were intense. It was as if he could see through everything. She shivered slightly, but then smiled slightly. He stared at her in bewilderment and then raised an eyebrow.

_I think I managed to ward him off for now. I don't know why he's staring at me, but I do want to talk to him. _

During lunch, Rika was not surprised to see Kudou come walking towards her desk. "Can we talk for a moment, Furude-san?" He asked seriously.

Rika nodded. She exchanged a look with Hanyuu and smiled. "Sure thing."

Once they got in the hallway, he turned to stare at her.

"What did you want to ask me, sir?"

* * *

><p>"Furude-san...no, Rika-chan, <em>who <em>are you? You're definitely not a child, not by the way you carry yourself. You seem far too mature."

Rika's mouth dropped open for a few moments. She chuckled slightly. "True. I am no mere child. How did you manage to see through my disguise?"

"It's so simple. You wear your heart on your sleeve. You're too bad at acting, Furude Rika. Have you ever heard of APOTOX 4869?" He asked sharply, but before he said the last part, he glanced around surreptitiously in order to make sure no one was listening in.

"What?" Rika asked in bewilderment.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:The thing is that Tooi no Koe is one of my favorite stories online, but I don't have many ideas for it now. So I'm updating One Last Chance today. **

**Chapter 9 Confessions of a 100-year old Shrine Maiden**

* * *

><p>Rika Furude stared at the young man in front of her in bewilderment. What on earth was he talking about? Why was he saying something this unbelievable to HER? Did he suspect her of being more than she seemed? If so, then this was one of the first occasions where her true identity was actually suspected by someone who wasn't crazy or losing their mind. She was shocked at this notion, however.<p>

The likelihood of this boy even KNOWING her true identity was close to none; however, he was the closest one to guess that she wasn't a child. How did he know, though? Why was he foolish enough to admit to her that he was a detective? Didn't he know better than to disclose a fact like that in a village that despised detectives utterly?

Perhaps he had no idea of just how much danger he was already putting himself in. She should warn him at the very least of how foolhardy he was being. Even talking to her was risky. Takano could be watching over her at any time with those Yamainu of hers, and she would no doubt be quite eager to turn these boys into her pawns. It had happened before with Keiichi, Rena and Shion. All Takano and Oishii had to do was suggest a few bad things about the village's past and all of them had easily fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.

She didn't want that to happen to Kudo Shinichi. He was far too innocent and she admitted that she was starting to grow fond of him and his antics. He was serious in a way that she could understand and he didn't act condescending towards her at all. Most adults or teenagers just misinterpreted her sage words of wisdom as a kid trying to act like an adult or a smart-ass.

"Kudou Shinichi, I do not understand what you mean by the term. Are you sure you're not making this up? As far as I know, I am nothing but a child."

"Don't lie to me. You act too much like an adult for it to be anything but the truth. Tell me, just WHO are you?" Shinichi challenged.

"I'm caught now, huh? I'm not Rika Furude. I am someone who looks like her and talks like her, but I am not her. I am her alter ego. I am one who has suffered many hardships to get to where I am at today. I have lived for a long time."

"How long?" Shinichi asked curiously.

Rika didn't even turn his way as she replied. "Oh, I'm not immortal, I've just been living for over a hundred years, repeating the same time over and over. What about you?"

"I am one who has also suffered. We can talk about my story later. What I want to know is why you wanted to talk to me about something this painful. If you really have lived this long, why bother trying?" Shinichi asked. "Isn't it better to give up rather than suffer?"

Rika's face turned dark. "True. I once thought the same thing myself, boy. However, I am willing to fight against my destiny. Now, what I am about to tell you must be kept between you and me. Hanyuu knows it as well. For she helps me relive my life over and over. There is someone in the village who kills me. In a few weeks' time...or even less, I will die and everyone else will. If you're in the village at the time, well...you will die, Kudo Shinichi. Are you afraid to die?"

To her surprise, he chuckled darkly. "No. I've faced death too many times to be afraid of it. Death follows me everywhere I go. I _am _a detective, after all. For two years, I had to deal with a fate worse than anything I had to bear before. I'm glad it's all over and done with."

"What exactly would that be?" Rika asked.

Shinichi frowned. "Let's save that story for another day. So who is this person you don't want me to run into? Are you afraid I'll really be let astray by another person that easily? I believe only what I know with my own eyes."

Rika frowned as well. "Does that mean you don't believe me?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I don't exactly believe you one hundred percent...yet. Rest assured, your secret lies between me and you. And that weird friend of yours." He said before winking.

"Kudou-san, what was that APOTOX you mentioned earlier?"

She didn't expect his fists to tighten and his face to fall.

"Something that ruined my life forever. That's all you need to know about it. I was mistaken. Don't worry about it."

As he turned away from her, she called after him.

"Hey, don't go announcing that you're a detective to the people of this village! They can't stand detectives."

Shinichi sighed. "I'll deal with it, Rika-san. I'm ready for whatever comes my way. I've gone through too much to let a group of people get me down."

"Beware of people in white vans." Rika said sternly. "They could kill you at any time."

"I'm prepared for that. I've always been one who is high up on the list of people to kill. You could say I know too much for my own good."

With that said, he started to walk away.

"Wait...please, help me. I don't want to die as a little girl again. Can you help me live on?" Rika pleaded. There were unshed tears in her eyes.

"Sure. I never break my promises, Rika-san."

As he left, Hanyuu confronted him.

"Are you sure you're prepared for the long battle that lies ahead?" She whimpered.

"Did you overhear everything?" Shinichi questioned.

Hanyuu nodded. "Hauu...you are brave, but foolhardy. Our enemies are ruthless. If you truly want to win, you have to give it your all."

Shinichi just smiled at her and patted her head. "I don't know. I am certain that I will try."

Hanyuu turned to Rika. "Rika, are you sure it was okay for you to tell him everything?"

Rika smiled. "Hanyuu...I know we have acquired a powerful ally against fate. Now let's see if the other boy also bends to the will of fate."

"Rika. I've never seen you like this before. I swear I will also fight with all my power, too. Now that I am visible to everyone, I can protect them instead of simply watching."

Rika had never felt so happy in her entire life. Here she had a chance to change everything for the better. She definitely would not give up. Never again would she turn her back on her friends and run and hide. Now she would fight for the sake of a better tomorrow.

* * *

><p><em>Takano, come at me with all you've got. I'll be ready.<em>

Takano Miyo frowned as she looked over her plans for the operation at Hinamizawa village. She had to make sure no one discovered her plan too soon. Rika Furude had to be eliminated.

"Rika-chan, you will be a participant in the resurrection of Oyashiro-sama, whether you want to or not."

She grinned evilly.

"Takano, I was wondering what you were up to in here!" Her "boyfriend," Jirou Tomitake exclaimed as he opened the door and peered in at her. "What're you looking at?"

"Nothing of importance, Jirou-chan. More importantly, are you ready to head off to Hinamizawa in two weeks' time?" Takano asked.

"Why?" Tomitake asked.

"Why, to see the Watanagashi Festival, of course! It'll be just like a romantic date!"

Tomitake's cheeks flushed bright red. "Takano, it's not like that at all. You know full well that we're not involved as a couple."

Takano smirked. That was only a lie, of course. Her true intention was to show the world what came to those who mocked Dr. Hifumi Takano's theory. Sooner or later, they would all believe, one way or the other. Once everyone in Hinamizawa died, they would all believe, whether they wanted to or not.

Things were going to be _so much fun_ this year...

* * *

><p>Hanyuu sneezed suddenly as the gang sat hunched over a game of old maid.<p>

"Are you okay, Hanyuu-chan?" Rena asked before handing her a tissue.

Hanyuu waved it aside, however. "Hauu...I'm fine. Someone was just thinking about me, that's all."


	10. Chapter 10 Takano

**A/N:I have not abandoned this story! I repeat...I have **_**not abandoned it! **__Now it's time for the next update._

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10 Takano <em>

A blond woman chuckled as she looked over her usual client, Satoko Hojo. The young girl and her friend Furude Rika often came in to get check-ups. Satoko had L5 of the Hinamizawa Syndrome, after all-and she often had to get regular shots so she wouldn't go crazy and have to be locked up like her older brother Satoshi, who was regularly looked after by the clinic.

Takano marveled at how mature the Furude head was for her age. 'So she really is the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama.' However, she was surprised when Rika approached with that freaky friend of hers; a girl with purple hair and eyes. She noticed the horns sticking out of her head, and her lips quirked up in a cold sneer.

"Why, hello there, Rika-chan. Why hello there, Satoko-chan! This is Hanyuu-chan, isn't it?" She said coldly before smirking at her.

Hanyuu flinched and refused to meet Takano's gaze but Rika consoled her shy friend while shooting a cold stare in Takano's direction. "Hello there, Takano. We're here for Satoko's shot, mii. She needs her medicine, that she does, sir."

**A/N:When they have her talk like that, doesn't she sound like Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin? **

The nurse straightened slightly before smiling. "Well, then...shall we get started?"

Satoko smiled a little upon seeing the nurse's face; seeing Takano always made her happy, though she couldn't help but feel a little on edge when she saw her face. It sort of reminded her of a blank void, like there was no one there...she shivered and shook those dark thoughts away as she was led into another room where Irie Kyousuke, the doctor was waiting.

* * *

><p>Rika turned to Hanyuu as they waited. Her thoughts were on a certain boy-Kudo Shinichi. No matter how much he smiled, there always seemed to be much more to him than met the eye. She wondered how much pain and sadness he was hiding under that mask of his. He certainly seemed to be quite enigmatic.<p>

"Rika, do you really think we can trust Kudo-san? I mean, he's an outsider, and we've never had him in any of the other timelines before." Hanyuu said, unsure.

Rika frowned as she mulled over that. "Don't worry, Hanyuu. Just because we've never had him before doesn't mean that we can't rely on his strength and intelligence to defeat fate. This is the final opportunity to break the cycle and bring the endless June 1983 to a close."

She smiled then; a determined one that was honest and pure. Hanyuu frowned upon seeing her optimistic nature. "Rika, so many times before this, you've been crushed by your optimism. It always seems that when you're this cheerful, something goes wrong."

Rika turned to stare at her. "Are you telling me to just give up and lie down and die? I've done that for hundreds of years. I'm getting a little tired of doing that, Hanyuu. Don't you want to live the rest of your life past this little farce of a life?"

Hanyuu frowned. She mostly enjoyed this because Rika was the only one who could see her...normally. However, she could be seen by everyone in this world. She supposed that since it was the last world, that meant that she had to be a participant in making a better future come about as well.

"Rika...I didn't mean that, honestly." Hanyuu moaned, whimpering a little as tears were slipping down her pretty face.

Rika sighed; she was used to Hanyuu's petulant outbursts, but that didn't mean that they didn't drive her up the wall. She gritted her teeth. 'If only I had some sake right now...'

The door opened, and Takano came back out, followed by Satoko.

"Keep taking that shot, Satoko-chan. Oh, and Rika-chan, I'd love to meet the new students at your school."

Rika looked at her in disbelief. How had she known about that? "How-"

"Word has been spreading around the school like wildfire. Satoko-chan here was telling me about them. She told me she doesn't know too much about them, but she says they're both nice people and they are outsiders. Is this true?"

Rika nodded, slowly. "Yes," She said softly, "What do you want to see them for?"

"Rika-chan, I love to see all of your friends."

'And make them crazy,' Rika thought as her fists tightened. How she wished she was older so she could put Takano in her place, but since she was stuck in this weak joke-in this pathetic excuse for a body-she had absolutely no muscle. She was helpless against TOKYO and Takano each and every time.

She was glad there were more allies in her fight against fate-really, she needed all the help she could get. Kudo Shinichi was strong mentally and emotionally and his intelligence would either prove to be an advantage or a disadvantage. For Takano was every bit as cunning as Shinichi was, but he had bravery. He reminded her of Keiichi-a strong, intelligent person who also had doubts in themselves and their own power.

She knew there was a dark secret hiding in his heart, one that he'd gone to great lengths to hide, but she couldn't even hazard a guess as to what it could be. Whatever it was, he wouldn't let anyone see it unless he really wanted them to, which was doubtful enough in and of itself.

'I'll be there for him. But how can I be there for someone I don't even know?'

* * *

><p>Shinichi sneezed as he got out of bed that morning. There had been something strange about Hinamizawa-he was having strange feelings about that place-it was almost like it was stuck in an endless time loop-it reminded him of a lost island or something along the lines of Atlantis-a lost people or continent, doomed to forever be lost due to their excess conceit.<p>

What the hell was he thinking? Things like that didn't exist-they were fiction, mere fairy tales that people made up in order to fill up their empty, boring lives. Life was interesting as long as you made it that way, Shinichi thought. If he had been disinterested in life, then life had become disinterested in him as well.

It was so good to look in the mirror every day and see his real self staring back, not the face of Edogawa Conan, a face he'd long since discarded for that of the real him-Kudo Shinichi. He wanted nothing more than to use his real identity for so long, but he had been frozen in time-frozen in his age, even-forced to live a false life behind a false name.

Frozen in time...? Was that how he could put it? 'Wait, could that be...what Hinamizawa has?' Quickly, he got out his laptop and typed Hinamizawa in it. The results that came up shocked him. It was an article dating back about twenty or so years ago-no, it was thirty years old.

* * *

><p>'<strong>Japanese village decimated by mysterious gas, no survivors predicted.' <strong>

_**Overnight, the town of Hinamizawa was stricken by a sudden volcanic gas emitting from the swamp. No one is presumed to have survived the disaster. Victims were taken to the school to try and treat them, but none of them made it. The Sonozaki head, Oryou, was one of the first fatalities. Her granddaughter, Sonozaki Mion, has also perished. Hinamizawa has a small population of 2,000 residents, and only one survivor is reported. That survivor is 15-year old Ryuugu Rena, whose whereabouts are unknown but she is assumed to be alive. **_

_**"This is such a tragedy," The Mayor of Okininomiya said at a press conference today about the event, "Hinamizawa was a lovely town full of lovely people and to think this happened right after the Watanagashi festival...this has caused some relatives of the Hinamizawans to think that this was Oyashiro-sama's curse." **_

_**Hinamizawa has had bad things happen on the day of the Watanagashi before. **_

Shinichi stopped reading then and there, unable to breathe suddenly. What the hell was going on here? This article was thirty years old, dated to 1983, yet it was the year 2013 and the village was still alive and well. The residents had no computers, no cell phones, not even any Ipods or Iphones.

His cell phone wasn't able to work in Hinamizawa. He had tried several different times, but nothing had happened. It was as if it didn't work in the city. No children were playing video games, no one had even recognized him as a high-school detective and he was famous throughout all of Japan. So what was the answer behind all of this?

Doyle's words resounded in his mind: "_Whenever you have eliminated the improbable, whatever remains, however absurd, is the truth.' _

"This makes no sense," He muttered to himself.

He heard a footfall behind him then and turned to see Kaito standing there, watching him in interest.

"So, whatcha lookin' at, meitantei-san?" He asked jokingly. Shinichi was in no mood for his jokes.

"What are you saying? I'm not in the mood for jokes, Kaito. There's something seriously wrong here. Take a look at this article and tell me what you think."

Kaito sat down and read it with his face staying exactly the same. "Maybe you have the wrong edition?"

"No, I'm sure of it, that's accurate, all right. Hinamizawa is supposed to be gone. It's not on any recent maps, either. Kuroba, I think we've stepped into a town that _doesn't even exist anymore. _In other words, we're in the Twilight Zone."

Kaito laughed it off. "Meitantei-san, what are the odds of that?"

"Knock it off, Kuroba. You felt the odd vibes in there as much as I did, didn't you? Yet you are denying that you felt any at all when that's not the case, is it?"

"Yes, you're right." Kaito admitted grimly. "So, what do we do?"

"I know what we can do. We can get some answers out of the Furude head." He said.

* * *

><p>The next Monday, Rika sat bored in class, knowing the Watanagashi was only a few days away. She had managed to speak to Oishi and Irie about her murder, but as usual they hadn't believed her. The door opened and Shinichi and Kaito came in, but both were oddly silent today.<p>

Shinichi sat right beside Rika. The look on his face was one of intense concentration. "Rika-chan, I need some answers now. What is going on here?"

Rika blinked. "What are you saying, sirs?"

"Drop the kiddy act, Rika-chan. Look at this...this is a printout of a newspaper article from thirty years ago..._your village was destroyed by a volcanic emission of gas. That means you are supposed to be dead, along with everyone else here. This was printed off the Internet." _

"Printed? Internet? What the heck is that?" Rika asked, looking at him in genuine shock. "You mean you just typed up information and it came right up?"

Shinichi looked at her and smirked. "I think my theory about you was right. You honestly don't know what the Internet is. You don't know who I am. A regular town would have recognized me. The thing is, you aren't supposed to be here, right here, right now. Please, tell me-what the hell is going on here?"

Rika smirked coldly and got up. "All right, boy. I suppose I'll answer your questions, if you answer mine-honestly and truthfully. You are a detective, after all. Impressive thinking."

The two of them went in the hallway. "I am not a mere child-I am hundreds of years old. You are right-this village isn't supposed to exist, boy. This whole world is frozen in time. You two are immune to this. I don't understand how or why you two have entered a frozen dead world like this, but you have. Listen, I don't expect you to believe me-"

"I've been through some pretty unbelievable stuff myself."

"So I am not really a child. I have been repeating my death over and over. I have never been able to save this village or my friends from their fate. Hanyuu and I are the only ones aware of time repeating, though occasionally our friends remember little things here and there. Every year, I am murdered and then the whole village is massacred."

Shinichi gasped. "M-Murdered?"

"Keep your voice down. This is the truth. I have seen it many times. My friends lose their minds to insanity and hatred and then they kill each other. I have seen their deaths many times." She said, still in that deep voice Shinichi barely recognized.

"Rika-chan..." He said.

"What about you? What's your story?" Rika challenged.

Shinichi looked away. "I don't wish to talk about it."

"Boy, I said I would answer your questions if you answered mine." Rika reminded.


End file.
